Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2007 - 08
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 7 January 2008

Notes:
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer.
+ Indicates a Question not included in the random selection process but accepted because the quota for that day had not been filled.
[N] Indicates a Question for Written Answer on a named day, i.e. the Member has indicated under S.O. No. 22(4) the day on which he wishes the Question to be answered.
[R] Indicates that a relevant interest has been declared.

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 7 January 2008
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 7 January 2008

This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 7 January of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

For other Written Questions for answer on Monday 7 January of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 7 January see Part 2 of this paper.

Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

1
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much money has been allocated for research into renewable energies in each of the last five years.

(174984)

2
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176923)

3
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when he expects the Government to make an announcement on whether it will be appealing against the European Commission's recent ruling on the state aid rules infringements by Shetlands trusts as a result of local financial assistance schemes operated by them.

(175709)

4
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when he expects transitional agreements to be available to countries not ready to sign up for an economic partnership agreement by 1st January 2008.

(175733)

5
Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effects on consumer representation of the Consumer Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007; what response he has made to paragraph 5.66 of the House of Lords Regulators Committee's report on Economic Regulators; and if he will make a statement.

(175737)

6
Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps Ofgem is taking to encourage improvements in consumer complaint-handling by energy suppliers; what discussions he has had with Ofgem on this; and if he will make a statement.

(175738)

7
Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will take steps to ensure that consumers have access to information on the performance of energy suppliers in handling complaints; and if he will make a statement.

(175739)

8
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps the Government has taken to encourage web-based technology development in the UK since 1997.

(175590)

9
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much the Government has spent on promoting the web-based technology industry since 1997.

(175591)

10
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which of his Department's (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies collect and monitor information relating to telephone contact centres.

(175725)

11
Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what information his Department monitors and collects in relation to telephone contact centres.

(175767)

12
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much and what proportion of the structural funds allocated to the UK under the 2000 to 2006 EC financial perspective have been paid out to date.

(176047)

13
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much was spent by the former Department for Trade and Industry and his Department on expenses, travel and accommodation to Brussels in each year since 2000.

(176051)

14
N Charles Hendry (Wealden): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what his policy is on how the Post Office should acknowledge or respond to letters on proposed post office closures.

(176263)

15
Peter Luff (Mid Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to his Answer of 12th November 2007, Official Report, column 64W, on packaging, when he plans to publish his Department's decision on private prosecutions in relation to copycat packaging as part of his Department's implementation of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.

(176040)

16
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many households are classified as living in fuel poverty in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire.

(176870)

17
Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to his Answer of 17th December 2007, Official Report, column 1061W, on Broadband: Scotland, what the location is of each of the clusters; in which parliamentary constituency in Scotland each cluster falls; and if he will make a statement.

(176946)

18
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the quantity of (a) steel and (b) concrete required to build sufficient wind turbines to supply the energy needed to meet targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target.

(175674)

19
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the quantity of (a) steel and (b) concrete required to build and develop the infrastructure, including access roads, to service wind turbines needed to supply the energy needed to meet targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target.

(175675)

20
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the number of full-time equivalent person years that will be required to build sufficient (a) wind turbines and (b) associated infrastructure to meet the EU 20 per cent. renewables target.

(175676)

21
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the cost of decommissioning a 2MW wind turbine, including the cost of removing concrete foundations, access roads and associated infrastructures, and restoring sites to their original condition; and what mechanisms are in place to ensure that such decommissioning is properly carried out.

(175677)

22
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the proportion of energy needed to meet targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target for total primary energy that will be supplied by means of wind generation.

(175678)

23
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much was spent on legal costs associated with the judicial review of the energy review process.

(175679)

24
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost was of the energy review process, excluding legal costs incurred during the judicial review.

(175680)

25
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much was spent on external consultancies in the preparation of (a) energy review, Our Energy Challenge, The Energy Challenge and (b) Meeting the Energy Challenge.

(175681)

26
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the costs were of printing Our Energy Challenge, The Energy Challenge; and how many copies were printed.

(175682)

27
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the costs were of printing Meeting the Energy Challenge; and how many copies were printed.

(175683)

28
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which external consultants were used by his Department and its predecessor in the preparation of the energy review, Our Energy Challenge, The Energy Challenge and Meeting the Energy Challenge.

(175684)

29
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effect on the volume of exports of the support given by UK Trade and Investment and the Renewables Trade Promotion Service to UK renewable technology manufacturers and developers.

(175685)

30
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the future export potential of each sector of the UK renewables industry.

(175686)

31
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what support was given by (a) UK Trade and Investment and (b) the Renewables Trade Promotion Service to each technology sector in attending or holding trade events domestically and overseas in the last period for which figures are available.

(175687)

32
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution of plant development under the renewables obligation in providing despatchable capacity for the United Kingdom's electricity grid.

(175688)

33
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what (a) fiscal and (b) other incentives are available to developers of (i) large-scale and (ii) small-scale renewable energy electricity generation projects.

(175689)

34
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps are being taken to reduce deadweight subsidy under the renewables obligation.

(175690)

35
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the deadweight subsidy provided by the renewables obligation since 2002; and how much he expects such deadweight subsidy to total in the period up to 2027 assuming the obligation is not revised.

(175691)

36
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what his most recent estimate is of the cost to consumers of the renewables obligation in each year since 2002; and how much he expects it to be in each year until 2027.

(175692)

37
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the internal rates of return accrued by developers of renewable energy electricity generation projects under the renewables obligation in the technology sectors.

(175693)

38
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps have been taken to assist the fuel poor in meeting any increases in electricity prices resulting from the renewables obligation.

(175694)

39
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what national generation carbon dioxide emissions factor is used by his Department in its calculations of emissions savings.

(175695)

40
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of (a) the total quantity of emissions of carbon dioxide which have been avoided as a result of the renewables obligation to date and (b) the expected quantity of such emissions in each year between 2008 and 2020.

(175696)

41
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps are being taken to limit the renewables obligation's cost to the consumer in circumstances where renewable technologies or developments cease to require support as a result of rising wholesale electricity prices or falling project capital expenditure.

(175697)

42
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps are being taken to limit the renewables obligation's cost to consumers once targets are met.

(175698)

43
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the quantity of coal not used annually as a result of renewable developments under the renewables obligation (a) to date and (b) expected by 2027.

(175699)

44
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the quantity of natural gas use avoided annually as a result of renewable developments under the renewables obligation (a) to date and (b) expected to be achieved by 2027.

(175700)

45
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the expected cost per tonne of carbon dioxide emissions avoided under the renewables obligation in (a) 2010 and (b) 2020.

(175701)

46
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the changes in levels of carbon dioxide emissions which (a) has resulted since 2002 and (b) is expected to result by 2027 from the progressive switch to natural gas in electricity generation.

(175702)

47
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate has been made of the likely system costs arising from the part-loading and increased maintenance of plant operating outside the balancing mechanism but affected by fluctuating power flows resulting from the renewables required to meet (a) current renewable electricity targets and (b) those likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target for total primary energy.

(175703)

48
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate has been made of the likely change in overall system costs due to network expansion to support renewables required to meet (a) current renewable electricity targets and (b) those targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target for total primary energy; and how much of the likely costs are attributable to the (i) transmission and (ii) distribution system.

(175704)

49
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate has been made of the change in system balancing costs of adding the non-despatchable generators to the UK portfolio required to reach (a) current renewable electricity targets and (b) those targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target.

(175705)

50
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether an estimate has been made of the likely effect of renewable generation supported by the renewables obligation on the thermal efficiency of gas-fired electricity generation.

(175706)

51
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what meetings (a) he and (b) his Ministers have held with representatives of manufacturers of components for the renewables industry in the last 12 months.

(175707)

52
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will estimate the effect on the balance of payments of imports of renewables development under the renewables obligation to date.

(175772)

53
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will estimate the likely effect on the balance of payments of imports arising in relation to renewables development under the renewables obligation in the period up to 2027.

(175773)

54
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of tourism income of the installation of wind turbines in the countryside.

(175774)

55
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will estimate the number of days annually on which wind speed is too high for the generation of power from wind turbines in each area in which wind farms are located.

(175775)

56
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will estimate the number of days annually on which wind speed is insufficient to provide any usable power from wind generation in each area in which wind farms are located.

(175776)

57
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what alternative provision will be made for the supply of energy needed to meet targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target for total primary energy in circumstances where a shortfall may be caused by insufficient wind speed to supply usable power by means of wind generation.

(175777)

58
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many factories in the UK are capable of manufacturing the primary components of a 2MW wind turbine, including (a) masts, (b) hubs, (c) generators and (d) turbine blades.

(176048)

59
Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimated size of labour force is needed to maintain the number of wind turbines required to meet targets likely to be required under the EU 20 per cent. renewables target for total primary energy; what types of qualifications are likely to be required for such a labour force; and what projection he has made of the number of suitable personnel who will be available on the labour market in 2020 is.

(176049)

60
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many post offices there are in each parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom.

(176333)

61
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will place in the Library a list of the addresses of all post offices in the UK.

(176357)

62
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which regional development agencies have offices in Brussels; and how much they paid towards each of the offices in each of the last five years.

(176358)

63
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what land holdings that each regional development agency owns.

(176359)

64
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many staff are employed by the National Secretariat of the Regional Development Agencies for England; what its expenditure was in each of the last five years; and in which offices it is located.

(176360)

65
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what grants were given by each regional development agency to trades unions in the last 24 months.

(176361)

66
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what role the new Local Better Regulation Office will play in the enforcement of home information pack regulations by local authorities.

(176362)

67
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many branded plastic bags his Department has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176363)

68
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what instructions his Department gave to Royal Mail on announcing details of Post Office closures in the month during the run up to the 2008 local elections in England and Wales.

(176364)

69
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of whether the South East Regional Development Agency offers value for money.

(176365)

70
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176366)

71
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of whether his Department will reach the target of 15 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency by 2010.

(175961)

72
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what improvements his Department made in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 towards the 15 per cent. improvement in energy efficiency by 2010.

(175962)

73
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many (a) new build and (b) refurbishment projects of a value of under £250,000 for which his Department was responsible took place in 2005-06; and how many of those projects were subject to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

(176726)

74
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many (a) new build and (b) re-furbishment projects for which his Department was responsible took place in 2005-06 up to a budget of £5 million; and how many of those projects were subject to a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment.

(176777)

75
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what proportion of commercial fishermen in (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Copeland have been declared bankrupt over the last 20 years.

(175939)

76
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many farmers in Copeland have declared bankruptcy over the last 20 years.

(175941)

77
N Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the proportion of stamps which remained unfranked by the Royal Mail's mail management systems in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

(176647)

78
N Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what procedures there are to deal with outstanding leases remaining on Government properties that have been vacated following closures of post office branches.

(175603)

79
N Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the length of the Government's outstanding lease on the Post Office building on Kerr Street, Kirkintilloch is.

(175604)

80
N Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when the Minister for Postal Affairs will reply to the letter sent by Councillor Charles Kennedy of East Dunbartonshire Council on Kirkintilloch Post Office.

(175605)

81
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175977)

82
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what effect the Review of the Postal Services Sector announced in his Written Ministerial Statement of 17th December will have on the most recently announced round of post office closures currently being consulted upon; and if he will make a statement.

(175828)

83
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether personal data for which the National Audit Office is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176007)

84
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176027)

85
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what audits his Department and its agencies carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176476)

86
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176631)

87
Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what date he or his ministerial colleagues informed the Post Office Ltd that it could not issue recommendations in the run up to the local elections in England due to the operation of purdah.

(175661)

88
Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what discussions were held with the Post Office on the timing of the issue of recommendations on post office closures prior to the announcement of dates by the Post Office; on what date he was made aware by the Post Office of the proposed dates for publication of proposals for post office closures under the various area plans; and on what date he first discussed the question of purdah with the Post Office.

(175662)

89
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent research his Department has (a) commissioned, (b) undertaken and (c) evaluated on the effects of changing to daylight saving time in the UK.

(175580)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

90
Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the housing finance review will consider taxation barriers to the development of products that give interest rate protection.

(175957)

91
Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to act on the recommendation of the Miles Report on the treatment of stand alone interest rate insurance as insurance for tax purposes.

(175958)

92
Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if the Government will take steps to consult industry on taxation barriers to the development of products that give interest rate protection, as stated in the Housing Green Paper.

(175963)

93
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176915)

94
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what consideration he has given to implementing a scheme whereby those living in rural and remote areas with extremely high dependence upon cars are allowed preferential rates of fuel duty.

(176744)

95
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions the Government has had on the sale of gold by the International Monetary Fund.

(176928)

96
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations the Government has received on the sale of gold by the International Monetary Fund.

(176929)

97
N Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fees have been paid by his Department for advice on Northern Rock to (a) Goldman Sachs and (b) Slaughter and May.

(175652)

98
Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2007, Official Report, column 587W, on Revenue and Customs: prosecutions, how many of the 15 criminal prosecutions completed against HM Revenue and Customs staff for matters relating to their employment during 2006-07 related to (a) fraud, (b) fraud involving financial gain and (c) fraud involving financial gain relating to tax credits.

(176797)

99
Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for the (a) completion and (b) publication of the Poynter Review.

(176891)

100
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HM Revenue and Customs staff first searched premises of the National Audit Office looking for the missing computer discs.

(176892)

101
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many representations he received directly from banks requesting a postponement of the announcement of the loss of computer discs containing the personal data of child benefit claimants.

(176893)

102
N Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HM Revenue and Customs first informed the police of the loss of the computer discs containing the data of child benefit claimants.

(176894)

103
N Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many calls have been received by the Child Benefit helpline since the loss of personal records by HM Revenue and Customs; and what the average length was of these calls.

(176897)

104
Justine Greening (Putney): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance is given to HM Revenue and Customs customs officers on the exercise of powers of arrest in relation to individuals from whom seizures of goods are made; and if he will make a statement.

(175819)

105
Justine Greening (Putney): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many seizures of illegal goods HM Revenue and Customs customs officers made in (a) ports, (b) airports, (c) rail terminals and (d) other locations in each year since 2004.

(175820)

106
Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he was first told of the loss of a data cartridge in the Cardiff office of HM Revenue and Customs containing the details of 6,500 people.

(176941)

107
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in which years since 1977 the number of live births in England exceeded the number of births in England in 2006.

(176885)

108
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average (a) total and (b) percentage change in house prices was in each region in each month in 2007.

(175791)

109
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people employed in his Department work on administering EU structural funds; and what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07.

(176045)

110
Mr Eddie McGrady (South Down): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he plans to have with his ministerial counterparts in the devolved institutions in Great Britain and Northern Ireland on funding over the next three year Comprehensive Spending Review period for the voluntary and community sector, with particular reference to projects to improve disadvantaged areas judged to be at risk of social exclusion.

(175567)

111
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average household income was in Cleethorpes constituency in each year since 1997.

(176890)

112
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which categories of products illegal to market in the UK qualify for relief from value added tax under the Low Value Consignment Relief Scheme when imported for personal use from the Crown dependencies.

(176949)

113
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reasons personal imports from the Channel Islands of certain food supplements and herbal remedies which cannot be marketed in the UK directly are exempt from liability for value added tax (VAT) under the Low Value Consignment Relief Scheme; what assessment he has made of the impact of such exemptions on health food retailers and mail order companies in the UK; when he next plans to review his policy on such VAT exemptions; and if he will make a statement.

(176950)

114
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role the Valuation Office Agency plays in undertaking inheritance tax valuations.

(176247)

115
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether section 825 of the Valuation Office Agency's Rating Manual Volume 5 has been updated in light of the Licensing Act 2003.

(176248)

116
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many full-time equivalent staff are employed by the Valuation Office Agency for undertaking work relating to (a) council tax valuations and (b) business rate valuations.

(176249)

117
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated yearly cost to the public purse is of the proposal in the Pre-Budget Report 2007 that microgeneration equipment in business premises will only trigger an increased liability for business rates when a property is revalued during the five-yearly revaluation process.

(176250)

118
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he wil place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's zoning of shops handbook guidance.

(176251)

119
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what records (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) his Department keep of the number and location of zero carbon homes.

(176252)

120
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date the Valuation Office Agency's Non-Domestic Referencing Manual was last updated.

(176253)

121
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the European Commission or Eurostat will have access to the data collected by the 2011 census.

(176378)

122
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's guidance note Best Practice in the Use of Digital Photography.

(176379)

123
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many photographs of non-domestic properties are stored in the Valuation Office Agency's digital photography application.

(176380)

124
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average capital value was of a domestic dwelling valued by the Valuation Office Agency for inheritance tax purposes, in each government office region area, in the last year for which figures are available.

(176381)

125
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether an impact assessment was conducted of the reduction of empty business rate relief on business properties.

(176382)

126
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of businesses which will pay higher business rates as a consequence of the reduction in empty property business rate relief.

(176383)

127
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what effects the restructuring of HM Revenue and Customs Aspire contract has had on the commissioning of services from Cole Layer Trumble for the Valuation Office Agency.

(176384)

128
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the introduction of the discrete capital values system of domestic taxation in Northern Ireland on house prices.

(176385)

129
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department will produce a formal response to the Lyons Inquiry on local government.

(176386)

130
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value was of bonuses paid to staff by the Valuation Office Agency in each of the last five years; and how many payments were made in each year.

(176387)

131
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, into which local authority areas the 10,000 localities that the Valuation Office Agency has established for developing the Automated Valuation Model fall.

(176388)

132
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what powers HM Revenue and Customs has to obtain information on estate agent transactions.

(176389)

133
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many homes, according to HM Revenue and Customs stamp duty land tax return records, have claimed the zero rate of stamp duty on zero carbon homes.

(176390)

134
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the (a) mean and (b) median change in business rates per empty property in the first full year of operation of the reduced levels of business rate tax relief for empty properties.

(176392)

135
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place the Valuation Office Agency's Ratings Cost Guide in the Library.

(176393)

136
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which public authorities on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service have vacant space; and what the area or size of the vacant space is in each case.

(176397)

137
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many homes the Valuation Office Agency valued for inheritance tax purposes in (a) England and (b) Wales in 2006-07.

(176398)

138
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Valuation Office Agency's Council Tax Revaluation Programme Board (England) of 22nd November 2005.

(176399)

139
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans the Valuation Office Agency has to increase digitisation and computerisation of its records in relation to individual premises or properties.

(176400)

140
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the Valuation Office Agency's and (b) HM Revenue and Customs' internal staff handbook or guidance on data security.

(176401)

141
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what physical or electronic mechanisms the Valuation Office Agency uses to transfer data between (a) its regional offices and (b) government departments and agencies.

(176402)

142
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's (a) eLearning Dwellinghouse Coding module and (b) Quick Guide to DWH Coding.

(176403)

143
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether there have been data security breaches at the Valuation Office Agency in the last 36 months.

(176404)

144
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's eLearning module The Role of the AVM.

(176405)

145
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether HM Revenue and Customs recognises pigeon racing as a sport for business rates purposes.

(176406)

146
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what use civil servants in his Department have made of Dorneywood in the last 12 months.

(176407)

147
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building operated by (a) his Department, (b) the Valuation Office Agency and (c) HM Revenue and Customs.

(176408)

148
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, to which periodicals (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) HM Revenue and Customs subscribed in the latest period for which figures are available.

(176409)

149
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's CT and Best Practice Process Maps.

(176410)

150
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

(176411)

151
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what meetings the Valuation Office Agency has had with (a) the Valuation and Lands Agency (including its new successor agency), (b) the Scottish Assessor's Association and (c) the Irish Republic's Valuation Office, in the last 12 months; and on what dates.

(176412)

152
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the timetable is for the census test and the publication of the conclusions from it.

(176413)

153
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many branded plastic bags (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) the Valuation Office Agency and (c) his Department purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost in that period.

(176414)

154
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's technical presentation entitled The Dating Game.

(176415)

155
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tonnes of carbon dioxide were offset against travel by the Valuation Office Agency in the last year for which figures are available.

(176416)

156
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the rules are for staff members of (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) HM Revenue and Customs on recording details of entertainment and hospitality received.

(176417)

157
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the aggregated estimate for net council tax receipts for the UK, in Table B8 of the 2007 Pre-Budget Report and Comprehensive Spending Review, includes receipts from domestic rates in Northern Ireland.

(176418)

158
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what research and work is being conducted by the Office for National Statistics into measuring multiple occupancy for the forthcoming census.

(176419)

159
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency's assessment of the plot size of a residential property includes the area of a (a) garage space, (b) outbuildings and (c) garden inside the curtilage of the property as a whole.

(176420)

160
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Office for National Statistics plans to use (a) the Ordnance Survey Mastermap product and (b) the National Land and Property Gazetteer in undertaking the next census as the address source for residential properties.

(176421)

161
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency plans to exercise the option in its contract with Rightmove.co.uk plc to extend the term for a further 12 months.

(176422)

162
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what use the Valuation Office Agency makes of intelligent addressing for valuation purposes.

(176423)

163
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Valuation Office Agency spent on purchasing floodplain polygons from the Environment Agency; and what use is made of the data for valuation purposes.

(176424)

164
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Valuation Office Agency has purchased a licence to use the pictometry product which Ordnance Survey sells on behalf of Blom Aerofilms Ltd.

(176425)

165
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many domestic dwellings in England have (a) one parking space, (b) two parking spaces and (c) three or more parking spaces according to the Valuation Office Agency's database of dwelling house codes and value significant codes.

(176426)

166
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what purpose the dwellinghouse code valuation grouping was created by the Valuation Office Agency in its preparations for a council tax revaluation.

(176427)

167
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the titles were of the 25 internal videos produced for staff on the Valuation Office Agency's wide area network since October 2004.

(176428)

168
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Valuation Office Agency spent on hire cars in the last financial year for which figures are available.

(176429)

169
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) the Valuation Office Agency and (b) HM Revenue and Customs has commenced the procurement process to develop an automated valuation model for non-domestic rates valuations.

(176430)

170
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's e-Learning module The Role of the AVM.

(176431)

171
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what functions and business areas of the Valuation Office Agency Cole Layer Trumble have provided consultancy advice or support in the last 12 months.

(176432)

172
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much (a) his Department, (b) the Valuation Office Agency and (c) HM Revenue and Customs has spent on research, consultancy and preparation costs for the Planning Gain Supplement.

(176433)

173
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been seconded to the Valuation Office Agency in the last 12 months; from which outside bodies; and what the length is of each secondment.

(176434)

174
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether an impact assessment has been produced for the proposed changes to inheritance tax thresholds for married couples.

(176435)

175
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect on the buy to let market and housing market of the new flat 18 per cent. rate of capital gains tax; and whether an impact assessment has been produced for this proposed tax change.

(176436)

176
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service holds historic property data over time.

(176437)

177
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether funding has been agreed by his Department for the Valuation Office Agency to obtain a GIS system.

(176438)

178
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the average values are of coefficients for the Valuation Office Agency's value significant codes of (a) ZL, (b) ZI and (c) ZH for those sections of the country for which they are available.

(176442)

179
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated weighted national averages of coefficients are for the Valuation Office Agency's value significant codes of (a) ZL, (b) ZI and (c) ZH.

(176443)

180
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff have been seconded to the Valuation Office Agency from outside central Government in the last 36 months; from which outside bodies; and for what period of time.

(176444)

181
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the coefficients are for the Valuation Office Agency's value significant codes of (a) ZL, (b) ZI and (c) ZH, broken down by (i) time period, (ii) area and (iii) property type; and whether the dependent variables are calculated on a linear basis.

(176445)

182
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what use the Valuation Office Agency makes of Ordnance Survey maps and datasets to calculate the plot sizes of residential properties.

(176446)

183
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance note produced by the Office for Government Commerce on social issues in purchasing.

(176447)

184
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what settlements were reached on council tax between the Treasury and the last Scottish Executive administration.

(176448)

185
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procurement guidance the Office for Government Commerce has produced for local authorities, on the purchase of receptacles for the collection of household rubbish.

(176449)

186
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been collected by HM Revenue and Customs in VAT on home information packs.

(176450)

187
N Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses that will be affected by the changes in the Enterprise Investment Scheme as a result of the changes in capital gains tax.

(175734)

188
N Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies used the Enterprise Investment Scheme (a) in 2005-06 and (b) in 2006-07; and how many have used it in total.

(175735)

189
N Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he made of the effect of proposed changes to capital gains tax on gross revenue raised by the tax when developing the proposals; and if he will make a statement.

(175736)

190
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) new build and (b) refurbishment projects of a value of under £250,000 for which his Department was responsible took place in 2005-06; and how many of those projects were subject to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

(176725)

191
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175969)

192
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176012)

193
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176470)

194
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176487)

195
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance his Department has provided to employers on whether employees should pay reduced national insurance contributions.

(175607)

196
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many women paid reduced national insurance contributions in each year since 1977.

(175608)

197
N Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the number of divorced women over pension age who divorced (a) aged under 30 years, (b) aged 30 to 39 years, (c) aged 40 to 49 years, (d) aged 50 to 59 years and (e) aged 60 years or over.

(175579)

198
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what control HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has over the access to and use of data after it has left HMRC's computers and been sent to (a) the Student Loans Company, (b) the National Audit Office and (c) other institutions; and what records HMRC maintains of that use and access.

(175751)

199
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what form of encryption algorithm is used to encrypt data sent (a) from the Student Loans Company to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and (b) from HMRC to the Student Loans Company.

(175752)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

200
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his forecast is of his Department's spending on child care in each quarter to 2011, broken down by region.

(176683)

201
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the average cost of child care in each quarter since 1997, broken down by region.

(176684)

202
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the real term in his Department's spending on child care was in each quarter since 1997, broken down by region.

(176685)

203
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what definition of a child care place his Department uses.

(176686)

204
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many child care places were available in each year since 1997, broken down by region.

(176687)

205
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what forecast he has made of the number of child care places available in each year to 2011, broken down by region.

(176688)

206
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children (a) under 12, (b) under 10 and (c) under seven years were living in the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by region; and what forecast he has made of the numbers in each group living in the UK in each year to 2011, broken down by region.

(176689)

207
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) one and (b) two parent families taking up childcare places in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) income decile, (ii) ethnicity, (iii) region and (iv) family size.

(176690)

208
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what forecast he has made of the number of (a) one and (b) two parent families taking up childcare places in each quarter in each of the next 10 years, broken down by (i) income decile, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) region, (iv) family size.

(176691)

209
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many hours of childcare on average a family using childcare received in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) income decile, (b) ethnicity and (c) region.

(176692)

210
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what forecast he has made of the average number of hours of childcare that will be taken up by a family using childcare in each of the next 10 years, broken down by (a) income decile, (b) ethnicity and (c) region.

(176693)

211
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the average cost of an hour of childcare from an Ofsted registered provider, broken down by region.

(176694)

212
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176907)

213
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what discussions he has had with CEA and the District Auditor on Islington teachers' salaries for the year 2003-04, notably their pension liabilities and related fiscal risks to the Government; and if he will make a statement.

(176856)

214
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what comparisons he routinely makes between a council's education gross expenditure and the same council's original budget unpublished/computerised in the CedAr system for education and regeneration; and if he will make a statement.

(176857)

215
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what allowances are routinely made for a council that records its additional gross expenditure on schools but not its additional gross income; and if he will make a statement.

(176858)

216
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps the Government has taken to assist teachers with the change in the number of pupils with English as a second language since 1997.

(175850)

217
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps the Government is taking to support schools in reaching targets of zero carbon emissions.

(175931)

218
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of pupils in each London borough took part in two hours or more physical exercise during the school day in each week in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(175561)

219
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will increase the priority given to dance in the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto.

(176817)

220
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he will publish the findings of his consultation on the transfer of responsibility for the regulation and registration of independent schools and non-maintained special schools.

(175640)

221
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, in respect of which independent schools his Department has concerns on governance and management.

(175645)

222
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many officials work in his Department's independent schools team.

(175646)

223
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of children in schools in Lincolnshire speak English as a second language.

(175792)

224
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what plans he has to recalculate workload measurements for Children and Family Court and Advisory Support Service staff; and whether this will involve additional expenditure.

(175758)

225
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which Children and Family Court and Advisory Support Service regions will be recruiting additional staff during the 2007-08 financial year; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such additional staff.

(175759)

226
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many section 7 cases were completed by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service in each of the last five financial years; and what the cost was of such work.

(175760)

227
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, on how many occasions Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service staff were involved in early intervention or dispute resolution during the financial year 2007-08; and what the cost was of such work.

(175761)

228
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the budget for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service will be in financial years (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10.

(175762)

229
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the average time was to complete a (a) private law and (b) public law case in the family courts in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the average cost was of each.

(176157)

230
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the funding required to provide the additional school places, whether through new school provision or extension of existing schools, identified as necessary by Milton Keynes Council to meet the current and future needs of the local population.

(176846)

231
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his most recent target is for the proportion of pupils acheiving five A* to C GCSEs by 2020; and if he will make a statement.

(176695)

232
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he expects to determine whether his Department has met its March 2008 target for take-up of school lunches; and if he will make a statement.

(176696)

233
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, for which academies (a) expressions of interest and (b) feasibility studies have been received since 1st May 2007; who the proposed (i) lead sponsor and (ii) co-sponsors are in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(176721)

234
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which local authorities are (a) co-sponsoring and (b) planning to co-sponsor academies; which academies each is sponsoring or co-sponsoring; on what date the (i) expression of interest was received and (ii) funding agreement was signed in each case; and if he will make a statement.

(176722)

235
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, in which academies the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is (a) higher and (b) lower than the corresponding proportion in the local school catchment area; and if he will make a statement.

(176723)

236
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 12th December 2007, Official Report, column 717W, on assessments: standards, whether it is his policy that all Key Stage national tests should be marked at addresses within the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement.

(176733)

237
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils took part in at least two hours of high quality physical education and school sport each week in each year from 1995-96 to 2004-05; and if he will make a statement.

(176818)

238
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many people worked in his Department's press office and those of its predecessor departments in each year since 2004-05.

(176819)

239
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the aims are of his Department's Communications Directorate; what targets have been set for it; and if he will make a statement.

(176820)

240
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of children met the Government's literacy and numeracy targets in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each of the last five years.

(176888)

241
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of children were in receipt of free school meals in each school in Cleethorpes constituency in the last period for which figures are available.

(176889)

242
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176377)

243
Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what support his Department is giving to Educentre Limited to build academies; and if he will make a statement.

(175658)

244
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils within Copeland have been eligible to receive education maintenance allowance over the last three years.

(175942)

245
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many free nursery places have been provided within Copeland over the last five years.

(175943)

246
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much funding to support the work of Surestart within Copeland has been provided over the last five years.

(175944)

247
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many families have accessed health and support from the Surestart programme within Copeland over the last five years.

(175945)

248
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many 16 to 18 year olds were in full time education within Copeland in each year between 1997 and 2007.

(175946)

249
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many 16 to 18 year olds were not in full time education within Copeland in each year between 1997 and 2007.

(175947)

250
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much funding was provided for childcare within Copeland in each of the last 10 years.

(175948)

251
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils were eligible in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland to receive education maintenance allowance at (i) £30, (ii) £20 and (iii) £10 over the last three years.

(175991)

252
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many young people from (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland graduated from higher education in each of the last 10 years.

(175992)

253
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, in what circumstances local education authorities may be exempt from new legislation requiring that a competition consultation phase be held for all new primary schools.

(176336)

254
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which interested parties are eligible to make proposals during the newly introduced competition consultation phase for all new schools.

(176337)

255
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many appeals were made to the Independent Schools Adjudicator against decisions taken by local education authorities in each year since 2000; and how many of these appeals have been successful.

(176338)

256
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether local education authorities are obliged to consult interested parties before deciding to close schools.

(176339)

257
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many school mergers occurred within the Essex Local Education Authority in each of the last five years.

(176679)

258
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many school closures occurred in the Essex Local Education Authority in each of the last five years.

(176680)

259
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many appeals against decisions taken by the Essex Local Education Authority have been directed toward the independent schools adjudicator since 2000.

(176681)

260
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many appeals made to the independent schools adjudicator against decisions taken by the Essex Local Education Authority since 2000 have been successful.

(176682)

261
N Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much has been spent on (a) marriage support services, (b) research into causes of marital breakdown and (c) research into ways of preventing marital breakdown as a result of section 22 of the Family Law Act 1996 in each year since it became law; and what use he plans to make of this legislation in the future.

(175671)

262
Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2007, Official Report, column 783W, on respect squads, what the qualifications are for appointment as a nationally recognised expert practitioner in a respect squad; what support they offer local partners; and who those partners are.

(176122)

263
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children in the care of local authority social services are (a) from the EU and (b) from outside the EU.

(176124)

264
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children (a) were in the care of local authority social services, (b) came into care as unaccompanied asylum seeking children and (c) have gone missing from care in each of the last three years.

(176125)

265
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175978)

266
Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he will respond to the letter of 29th November from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight on changes to the school system on the Isle of Wight.

(176827)

267
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176025)

268
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176481)

269
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what requirements his Department places on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176629)

270
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of children in the top five per cent. in Key Stage Two tests achieved three A grades at A-level in each of the last three years.

(175711)

271
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of children identified as gifted and talented have achieved three A grades at A-level in each of the last three years.

(175712)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

272
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176906)

273
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much (a) his Department and (b) the Minister for the Olympics spent on (i) Christmas cards and (ii) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176913)

274
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether his Department is on course to meet the commitments in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate targets (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31st March 2008 and (b) to increase recycling to 40 per cent. of its waste by 2010.

(175568)

275
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon dioxide emissions by April 2007.

(175569)

276
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system (such as ISO 14001 or EMAS) (a) for its whole estate and (b) in some of its buildings.

(175570)

277
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what rules are in place for deciding which outsourced Government projects should be put to open tender.

(176836)

278
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the terms of reference are of the review into data sharing in the public sector.

(176335)

279
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what planning applications the Cabinet Office has submitted in relation to requests for planning permission on its properties inside London in the last 12 months; in what buildings; and for what purposes.

(176343)

280
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, for how many months the official ministerial residences in Admiralty House previously occupied by the (a) right hon. Member for Ashfield and (b) right hon. Member for Derby South have remained empty.

(176344)

281
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many bedrooms each of the three official ministerial residences in Admiralty House has.

(176345)

282
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the (a) capital and (b) notional open market rental value is of each official residence available to Ministers in his Department.

(176348)

283
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, for how many months each vacant ministerial residence in Admiralty House has been unoccupied; and if he will consider renting out such properties to individuals other than Ministers.

(176506)

284
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the expenditure by the Deputy Prime Minister's Office on food and drink was in 2006-07.

(176508)

285
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much was charged by the Cabinet Office to other departments for each of the three official ministerial residences in Admiralty House in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07.

(176509)

286
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what payment the (a) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and (b) Deputy Prime Minister's Office made to the Cabinet Office for the use of Admiralty House as an official ministerial residence for the year 2006-07.

(176510)

287
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much has been spent from the public purse on beds for the official ministerial residences in Admiralty House since 1997.

(176511)

288
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the Government's policy is on civil servants staying overnight at Chequers when the Prime Minister is not resident.

(176512)

289
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building operated by the Cabinet Office.

(176513)

290
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which Ministers of the Crown have (a) one, (b) two and (c) three or more residences consequent on his or her office.

(176514)

291
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 27th November 2007, Official Report, column 352W, on Admiralty House, what payments were made by other departments to his Department for (a) repairs and (b) furnishing or refurbishing of official ministerial residences in each of the last three years; and of what value.

(176762)

292
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer of 17th October 2007, Official Report, column 1135W on Ministers: grace and favour housing, whether Lord Malloch-Brown moved into the same ministerial residence as previously occupied by the Rt hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull.

(176899)

293
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175976)

294
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176026)

295
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what audits his Department carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176475)

296
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176630)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

297
Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she plans to publish changes to Planning Policy Statement 6; and whether she plans to consult on those changes.

(175959)

298
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to improve community cohesion in West Chelmsford constituency.

(174983)

299
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much (a) her Department and (b) the Minister of State for Housing spent on (i) Christmas cards and (ii) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176908)

300
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many calls each fire control room received in the 72 hour period commencing 00:00 on 20th July 2007.

(176805)

301
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many incidents each fire and rescue service attended in the 72 hour period commencing 00:00 on 20th July 2007.

(176806)

302
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many calls went unanswered in each fire and rescue service area in the 72 hour period commencing 00:00 on 20th July 2007.

(176807)

303
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were (a) on duty and (b) recalled in each fire and rescue service in the 72 hour period commencing 00:00 on 20th July 2007.

(176808)

304
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the greatest number of calls to any one fire control room in a 24 hour period was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(176809)

305
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the (a) financial and (b) non-financial effect of home information packs on the housing market; and what criteria and evidence she has used in making the assessment.

(176086)

306
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of (a) home inspectors and (b) domestic energy assessors required under the roll-out of home information packs; and how this estimate was calculated.

(176087)

307
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of qualified (a) home inspectors and (b) domestic energy assessors in (i) Rochford and Southend East constituency, (ii) England and (iii) Wales.

(176088)

308
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when Haringey Council and Homes for Haringey will be given their full funding under the Decent Homes Programme for improvement to housing stock; and what the reasons are for the time taken to provide the funding.

(175562)

309
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people employed in her Department work on administering EU structural funds; and what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07.

(176044)

310
Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when her Department decided to consider whether to amend its guidance on the handling of fires involving oxyacetylene; what consultants have been employed on the matter; and when revised guidance will be published.

(175986)

311
Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when her Department received a request for the penetration by high velocity round of the oxyacetylene cylinder in the fire incident on the A12 at Eight Ash Green on 5th October; for what reasons the request was refused; and if she will make a statement.

(175987)

312
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) procedures and (b) timetable are for the appointment of the new Chairman of Milton Keynes Partnerships.

(175606)

313
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether funds raised by the Milton Keynes tariff on developers and landowners may be used for the capital funding of new schools.

(175610)

314
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many project risks are listed for the (a) FireLink and (b) FireControl project; how many of these risks are rated as high or above; and what the risks rated as high or above are.

(175564)

315
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many firefighters have used the key worker housing scheme in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

[R] (176901)

316
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many unoccupied domestic properties there were in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

[R] (176902)

317
N John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many unoccupied domestic properties in England and Wales were damaged or affected by fire in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

[R] (176903)

318
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many houses in multiple occupancy there were in Cleethorpes constituency in each year since 1997.

(176871)

319
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of levels of housing overcrowding in Cleethorpes constituency.

(176872)

320
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households were on waiting lists for housing in (a) Cleethorpes constituency and (b) Great Grimsby constituency in each year since 1997.

(176873)

321
Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which locations have been submitted to her Department as prospective eco-towns as part of the New Points Growth scheme.

(175566)

322
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to amend legislation to meet the requirements of the EU Directive on Environmental Impact Assessments.

(176158)

323
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the criteria were by which she decided which local authorities were to be named as empowerment champions.

(176159)

324
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which companies were commissioned to undertake (a) qualitative and (b) quantitative research for the home information pack dry run; and at what cost.

(176160)

325
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the running costs were of the Audit Commission in 1996-97; and what the expected costs are in 2007-08.

(176161)

326
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many hectares of derelict land are recorded on the English National Land Use Database, broken down by government office region.

(176162)

327
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the receipts from supplementary business rates may be used for capital expenditure other than on infrastructure and revenue expenditure.

(176163)

328
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the Band D council tax was on (a) the fire/police precept and (b) the GLA precept in London in each year since 1997-98.

(176164)

329
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to Best Value Performance indicators in the last three years in relation to recording and measuring user satisfaction with local authorities.

(176165)

330
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding (a) her Department, (b) its predecessor and (c) the Government Office for the South West has provided to the sustainability of land use and transport in outer neighbourhoods project.

(176174)

331
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department and its predecessor spent on research, consultancy and preparation costs for Planning Gains Supplement.

(176175)

332
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the strategic objectives for her Department will be published, further to the publication of the Public Service Agreement delivery agreement for her Department.

(176176)

333
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for the publication of the results of the pilot studies from the Home Information Pack dry run.

(176177)

334
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in what locations home information pack pilots and dry-runs took place; and over which periods of time in each case.

(176178)

335
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many deliberate road vehicle fires occurred in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available in Wales and each government office region in England.

(176179)

336
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on publicity, marketing and communications relating to home information packs to date.

(176180)

337
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many voluntary home condition reports have been logged on the Home Condition Report Register to date.

(176181)

338
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) housing associations and (b) councils offer the Social Homebuy Scheme to their social tenants.

(176182)

339
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many completed social homebuy sales there have been to date amongst (a) housing associations and (b) local authorities.

(176183)

340
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated date is by which every local planning authority in England will have completed its local development framework.

(176184)

341
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average price was of a property purchased by a first time buyer in England in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the latest period for which figures are available.

(176185)

342
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information the Ordnance Survey's Mastermap product holds on the flood risk of individual properties.

(176186)

343
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Valuation Office Agency collates information on (a) pub quizzes, (b) darts and (c) pool tables when valuing licensed premises for business rates purposes.

(176187)

344
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many civil servants are assisting the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell in his review of land use and planning.

(176188)

345
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether council tax precepts issued by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority are subject to the capping regime.

(176189)

346
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) planned expenditure is and (b) expenditure to date has been on providing free energy performance certificates; how many have been subsidised to date; and what the target is for the number to be subsidised.

(176190)

347
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what central government public expenditure on housing was in each year since 1996-97; and what the forecast levels are for each of the next three years.

(176191)

348
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) indicators and (b) targets will be contained within each local area agreement; and whether these will be in addition to national indicators.

(176192)

349
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what permitted development rights exist for CCTV cameras (a) on a fixed pole and (b) affixed to a building.

(176193)

350
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what records her Department keeps of the number and location of zero carbon homes.

(176194)

351
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the proposed Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will (a) set targets for local authorities which have housing stock and (b) have power to inspect local authorities which have housing stock.

(176195)

352
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes she is making to the requirement for local authorities to have a register of empty homes returned to use.

(176196)

353
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell is receiving (a) payment from the public purse and (b) expenses for his review of land use and planning.

(176197)

354
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell is expected to publish the conclusions of her review of land use and planning.

(176198)

355
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average price was of a property purchased by a first time buyer in each local authority area in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(176199)

356
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Electoral Commission's proposed 13 performance indicators for local authority electoral registration departments will be in addition to the new 198 performance indicators for local authorities.

(176200)

357
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes the Government has made to the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives Scheme since its introduction; and what further changes her Department is planning.

(176201)

358
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding (a) her Department, (b) its predecessors and (c) the Government Office for the South West has provided to the Sustainability Of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods project.

(176203)

359
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, why her Department's list of councils which have elections in 2008, published by her Department on 10th October lists Bristol as having elections.

(176204)

360
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make a statement on the Waste and Recycling Board in London; and what involvement the Mayor of London will have with the Board.

(176205)

361
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent research her Department has commissioned into the potential effect on health of mobile telephone masts.

(176206)

362
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to promote digital inclusion.

(176207)

363
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment (a) she and (b) her agencies have made of the effect of requiring planning permission for second homes on house prices.

(176208)

364
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which provisions of the Greater London Authority Act 2007 will come into force before May 2008.

(176209)

365
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) housing associations and (b) councils offer the Social Homebuy scheme to their social tenants.

(176210)

366
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether council tax precepts issued by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority are subject to the capping regime.

(176216)

367
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding was allocated to the Supporting People budget in each year since its inception; and what the planned expenditure is in the next three years.

(176217)

368
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average price of a property purchased by a first time buyer in each local authority area in England was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(176222)

369
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many voluntary home condition reports have been logged on the Home Condition Report Register.

(176225)

370
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is the lead department co-ordinating the work of regional Ministers.

(176226)

371
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation process has taken place on the allowed age of an energy performance certificate in a Home Information Pack.

(176227)

372
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of local government revenue expenditure will be locally financed in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.

(176228)

373
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the planned expenditure is on the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder Scheme in each of the next three years.

(176229)

374
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many energy performance certificates have been logged on the Energy Performance Certificate database.

(176230)

375
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on home information packs from the public purse; how much has been spent on associated (a) legal fees and (b) external advisers; and how much is budgeted to be spent in the remainder of this financial year.

(176231)

376
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for how many years the supplementary business rate on London businesses will remain in force to pay for Crossrail.

(176232)

377
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department and its predecessors spent on research, consultancy and preparation costs for the Planning Gain Supplement.

(176233)

378
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which specific grants to local government will (a) no longer be and (b) remain ring-fenced.

(176241)

379
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10th October 2007, Official Report, column 667W, on Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling: public appointments, if she will place in the Library copies of the minutes of each of the meetings of the Panel since its establishment.

(176255)

380
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 9th October 2007, Official Report, columns 556-7W, on casinos: planning permission, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Planning Inspectorate ruling for each of the eight appeals.

(176260)

381
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what factors she took into account when deciding whether to conduct a consultation on introducing supplementary business rates.

(176321)

382
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on home information packs from the public purse to date, broken down by main budget heading; and what is the budget for the remainder of financial year 2007-08.

(176323)

383
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the deadlines are for marketing homes without a home information pack, in relation to (a) four or more bedroom homes, (b) three bedroom homes and (c) all other homes.

(176325)

384
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many press releases the Valuation Office Agency issued in 2006-07.

(176391)

385
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many energy inspectors will be required to meet the requirement for Energy Performance Certificates on (a) commercial property, (b) private rented accommodation and (c) social housing.

(176452)

386
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9th October 2007, Official Report, columns 563-4W, on Green Belt, what the loss in hectares of designated Green Belt was in each government office region in each year since 1997 for which data is available, excluding additions to the Green Belt in the same period.

(176453)

387
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 16th October 2007, Official Report, column 1035W, on the Housing Data Domain Group, whether her Department compiles neighbourhood or local statistics on family breakdown.

(176454)

388
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 16th October 2007, Official Report, column 1035W, on the Housing Data Domain Group, if she will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the meeting of the Neighbourhood Statistics: Housing Data Domain Group of 2nd October 2006.

(176455)

389
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 9th October 2007, Official Report, columns 563-4W, on Green Belt, for what reasons green belt protection is not compatible with National Park designation.

(176456)

390
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to reduce the council tax discount on empty homes.

(176459)

391
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 Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 settlement letter from HM Treasury sent to her Department.

(176557)

392
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the business rate multiplier, including each of the different rates for small and large firms, was in each year since the introduction of the Uniform Business Rate.

(176558)

393
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals to allow a supplementary business rate to be levied will apply to London; and whether local authorities will be able to charge the supplementary business rate on top of the Crossrail business rate levy.

(176559)

394
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the de minimis threshold will be for a residential planning application to incur the new standard planning charge.

(176560)

395
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated change in revenue to be raised from the new planning charges system is.

(176561)

396
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) central government, (b) regional planning bodies or (c) regional development agencies will receive revenue raised by the new planning charges.

(176562)

397
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to review business rate relief for (a) previously developed and (b) derelict land.

(176563)

398
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) function and (b) purpose is of the English Regions Network.

(176586)

399
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what planning applications her Department has submitted on requests for planning permission on its departmental properties in the last 12 months; for what buildings; and for what what purpose.

(176587)

400
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what local area agreements have been agreed on targets for the number of (a) benefit awards and (b) unclaimed benefits; and with which local authorities.

(176588)

401
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the full conclusions of each geographic dry run for home information packs will be published (a) by the end of 2007 and (b) before home information packs are extended to one or two bedroom homes.

(176590)

402
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what research her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned on the development of XML Schema for the sharing of data between public authorities.

(176591)

403
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's definition is of affordable housing ; and what changes have been made to the definition since May 1997.

(176592)

404
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff have been seconded to (a) her Department and (b) each of its executive agencies, in the last 12 months; from which outside body they were seconded; and what the length was of each secondment.

(176593)

405
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 each year for which figures are available from 1997 to 2005.

(176594)

406
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which property attributes will form part of the Valuation Office Agency's multiple regression analysis in its proposed Automated Valuation Model for business rates.

(176595)

407
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of local planning authorities have had the core strategies of their Local Development Framework approved by the Government; and what her Department's targets were for those strategies.

(176596)

408
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent by her Department and its predecessor on (a) make-up artists for media appearances and (b) cosmetics for media appearances in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

(176597)

409
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what annual financial saving is expected following the relocation from London to Manchester of the Standards Board.

(176598)

410
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much central government funding the North West Brussels Office received in each of the last five years.

(176599)

411
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether IPSO-MORI have concluded their work on the Home Information Pack dry-run and pilot research.

(176600)

412
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what payments her Department has made to IPSO-MORI in the last 24 months; and for what purposes.

(176601)

413
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what minimum contractual periods are contained within the contracts for the (a) FireControl and (b) Firelink projects; and whether the contracts allow for early termination of the agreements.

(176602)

414
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the expenditure was of the East Midlands European Office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176603)

415
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) the authorised and (b) required elements of a home information pack will inform buyers of the potential impact of underground works.

(176604)

416
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the expenditure was of the South West UK Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176605)

417
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the rateable value of a business premises changes between statutory revaluations if there is a material change to the property.

(176606)

418
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the rateable value of a business premises is re-assessed when it is (a) sold and (b) rented to a different body outside statutory revaluations.

(176607)

419
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the expenditure was of the North East of England Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176608)

420
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for contracts to be finalised for the (a) FireControl and (b) Firelink projects.

(176609)

421
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether there is (a) a termination date and (b) an option to terminate in the contract between Cole Layer Trumble and Capgemini, for the consultancy services that it provides to assist the ongoing work of the Valuation Office Agency.

(176610)

422
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate the Valuation Office Agency has made of the number of domestic dwellings with (a) wind turbines and (b) solar panels.

(176611)

423
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which three mortgage lenders from the top 30 do not accept personal searches in a home information pack.

(176612)

424
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the total expenditure was of the North West Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176613)

425
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) targets and (b) performance indicators (i) Engish Partnerships and (ii) its successor agency is developing for local authorities.

(176614)

426
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether councils with above-average collection rates for (a) council tax and (b) business rates receive additional revenue as a consequence.

(176615)

427
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultation is planned as part of the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy.

(176616)

428
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the range of the additional build costs of a zero carbon home in addition to Part L of the 2006 building regulations.

(176617)

429
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average additional contribution is of a ground source heat pump to the rental value of a business premises in the assessment of its rateable value for business rates by the Valuation Office Agency.

(176618)

430
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) proportion and (b) number of first time buyers in (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) England and Wales purchased properties in the three or four per cent. stamp duty band in the most recent year for which figures are available.

(176619)

431
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the expenditure was of the West Midlands in Europe office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176620)

432
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons the early severance and early retirement costs for her Department and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister rose from £2.3 million in 2004 to £8.0 million in 2006.

(176621)

433
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the recommended maximum limit is on the number of parking spaces for new residential developments, following the publication of Planning Policy Statement 3.

(176622)

434
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the £5 billion of reduction in ring-fenced and specific grants by 2010-11 will be re-allocated to (a) Revenue Support Grant and (b) Area-Based Grant.

(176623)

435
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether ground source heat pumps are taken into account in the valuation of a property for council tax purposes by the Valuation Office Agency.

(176632)

436
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the financial liability the public purse will bear for the cost of City Hall at the end of the 25 year lease signed by the then Secretary of State for Environment, Transport and the Regions.

(176737)

437
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her proposals to introduce powers to ballot on spending decisions would involve (a) the council and (b) the public.

(176738)

438
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to amend planning regulations on the conversion of family homes into bed sits.

(176739)

439
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many referendums have taken place on whether to establish an elected mayor since 1997.

(176740)

440
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the recommended minimum age is at which an individual can become a junior neighbourhood warden.

(176741)

441
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the funding allocated to local authorities to deliver the Community Empowerment Action Plan is (a) new and (b) additional funding.

(176742)

442
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what police and school records children must have in order to be eligible to become a junior neighbourhood warden.

(176743)

443
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change was in Band D council tax in each London borough in each year since 1997-98.

(176745)

444
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the timetable is for publishing (a) draft and (b) final Best Value Performance Indicator data for each local authority for 2006-07.

(176746)

445
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many (a) communications, (b) marketing, (c) information and (d) press officers work for each regional chamber in England.

(176747)

446
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been given to local authorities on setting up junior neighbourhood wardens schemes.

(176748)

447
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which public authority retains the revenue from civic penalty notices issued for failure to provide information requested for non-domestic rating purposes; and what the average size of the penalty payment is.

(176749)

448
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding is being provided to local authorities to run junior neighbourhood wardens in 2007-08.

(176750)

449
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which unique property reference number is used to identify a property in a home condition report.

(176751)

450
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the unique property reference number generated by the Register Operator for inclusion in an energy performance certificate is the same unique property reference number used for a property in the National Land and Property Gazetteer.

(176752)

451
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the status is of the National Spatial Address Infrastructure; and what the public expenditure has been on the scheme to date.

(176753)

452
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many of the 210 local authorities which received central government funding for community/neighbourhood wardens are still funding the warden schemes.

(176754)

453
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 minutes from the meeting of the Stakeholder Advisory Panel on Home Buying and Selling on 25th July 2007.

(176755)

454
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of billing authorities have established a regularly-maintained link from their Local Land and Propety Gazetteer to the National Land and Property Gazetteer.

(176756)

455
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding her Department has provided to each of the Regional Centres of Excellence and Regional Improvement Partnerships.

(176757)

456
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many planning applications for developments in flood risk areas were approved against the advice of the Environment Agency in each of the last three years.

(176771)

457
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information is available to the public on radon levels in homes.

(176772)

458
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate her Department has made of the number of homes in England and Wales exposed to significant levels of radon.

(176773)

459
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Geographic Information Panel have taken to engage the private sector in the development of the UK Location Strategy.

(175653)

460
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what role the Ordnance Survey has in preparing the UK Location Strategy.

(175654)

461
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has for consultation on the UK Location Strategy.

(175655)

462
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects to publish the UK Location Strategy.

(175656)

463
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what meetings her officials have had on combating violent extremism in Britain since 2005.

(175633)

464
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to improve community cohesion and integration since 2005.

(175634)

465
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what additional funds were made available to local authority social services to provide care for unaccompanied asylum seeking children in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority; and if she will make a statement.

(176121)

466
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to ensure that records with photographs are kept by every local authority social service department of the children that come into their care from ports of entry.

(176123)

467
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many London-based staff are employed by her Department on the national minimum wage.

(175974)

468
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether personal data for which her Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(176024)

469
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what audits her Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176483)

470
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what requirements her Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176628)

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

471
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176905)

472
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from industry bodies on the effect of the entry into force of the Gambing Act 2005 on (a) internet gambling and (b) other aspects of the gambling industry; and if he will make a statement.

(176813)

473
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the administrative costs to each of the national governing bodies of implementing the Club and Coaching Development Scheme sponsored by his Department.

(176814)

474
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 13th November 2007, Official Report, column 1006-7, on sports: finance, how much funding in each year was provided from (a) his departmental budget and (b) Lottery funding.

(176815)

475
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times databases containing personal information on members of the general public were transferred by his Department to other bodies or organisations (a) physically and (b) electronically in each year since 1997.

(176816)

476
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions (a) he and (b) the Minister for Tourism has met (i) VisitBritain, (ii) the Tourism Alliance and (iii) other tourism related organisations in the last 12 months.

(176898)

477
Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will take steps to prohibit the advertising of alcohol in the cinema before films with a lower than 18 certificate.

(176845)

478
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department is on course to meet the commitment in the sustainable operations on the government estate targets (a) to source at least 10 per cent. of its electricity from renewables by 31st March 2008 and (b) to increase recycling figures to 40 per cent. of waste by 2010.

(176904)

479
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has adopted the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Programme.

(176925)

480
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department met the target in the Sustainable operations on the government estate to reverse the then upward trend in carbon emissions by April 2007.

(176926)

481
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department is working towards an accredited certified environmental management system such as ISO 14001 or EMAS (a) for its whole estate and (b) in some of its buildings.

(176927)

482
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what criteria were used by the Central Office of Information to choose Opinion Leader Research to produce the qualitative research project on the BBC Trust and the television licence fee in December 2005.

(176951)

483
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the tendering process was for the qualitative research project on the BBC Trust and the television licence fee, produced by Opinion Leader Research in December 2005.

(176952)

484
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 18th December 2007, Official Report, column 105WS, on the correction to written parliamentary Question 16520, what (a) discussions and (b) meetings his Department had with (i) the Central Office of Information and (ii) Opinion Leader Research while preparing (A) the answer to Question 165260 and (B) the written ministerial statement.

(176953)

485
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what records his Department holds of which local authorities have licensing policies with cumulative impact areas.

(176709)

486
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recycling scheme is in operation in each buiding operated by his Department.

(176711)

487
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which local authorities have adopted cumulative impact areas under the Licensing Act 2003.

(176712)

488
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of licensed premises in England and Wales that have a terminal hour, on at least one day of the week, after 11 p.m.

(176713)

489
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many branded plastic bags his Department has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176714)

490
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what funding will be provided to local authorities to cover the cost of digital switchover of communal TV systems in local authority-owned properties.

(176715)

491
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many copies of Adobe Photoshop software were purchased by his Department in the last period for which figures are available.

(176716)

492
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many local authorities have designated cumulative impact areas in their licensing policies.

(176718)

493
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many different statutory notices licensed premises must display.

(176719)

494
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) overseas and (b) UK tourists visiting (i) Cumbria and (ii) Copeland in the last five years.

(175611)

495
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the average expenditure per head by overseas tourists visiting (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland in the last five years.

(175612)

496
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the average length of stay by (a) domestic tourists and (b) foreign tourists visiting Copeland over the last five years.

(175933)

497
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of the gross value added of Copeland that has been generated by domestic visitors over the last five years.

(175934)

498
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of visitor beds that were available in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years.

(176727)

499
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people in Copeland constituency who were employed in the tourism sector in each of the last five years.

(176728)

500
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who were involved in work-based training in the tourism sector in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years.

(176729)

501
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the average spend per head of domestic tourists visiting Copeland in the last five years.

(176758)

502
N Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, why funding for the Portable Antiquities Scheme was not ring-fenced in the Comprehensive Spending Review; and if he will make a statement.

(176798)

503
N Dan Rogerson (North Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Comprehensive Spending Review settlement on the Portable Antiquities Scheme.

(176799)

504
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will consider transferring responsibility for S4C to the Welsh Executive.

(176149)

505
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when he expects to announce the results of the consultation on the rules on flying the Union Flag on public buildings.

(176153)

506
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175979)

507
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176023)

508
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176482)

509
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what requirements his Department and its agency place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176627)

510
Mr Anthony Wright (Great Yarmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether he plans to review the (a) size and (b) remit of the Gambling Commission.

(175597)

511
Mr Anthony Wright (Great Yarmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from (a) the Gambling Commission, (b) the Responsibility in Gambling Trust, (c) Gamcare and (d) trade associations on the likely effects on problem gambling of the introduction of the Gambling Act 2005 on 1st September 2007.

(175598)

512
Mr Anthony Wright (Great Yarmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of the Gambling Act 2005 on seaside arcades.

(175599)

513
Mr Anthony Wright (Great Yarmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average premises licence fees levied on (a) family entertainment centres and (b) adult gaming centres by local authorities was in 2006-07.

(175600)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence

514
N Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what contracts have been entered into by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Support Integrated Project Team since 2004; and what the value was of each contract.

(175648)

515
N Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people work in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Support Integrated Project Team; and how many of them are (a) serving armed forces personnel, (b) civil servants, (c) external consultants and (d) others.

(175649)

516
Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of Freedom of Information requests received by his Department have given rise to responses that have been published by his Department.

(175708)

517
N Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria are used to decide which of his Department's responses to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 are published on the Department's website; and if he will make a statement.

(175715)

518
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176919)

519
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, in what roles the Army employs native Pashtun speakers.

(176083)

520
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many members of staff in his Department (a) speak Pashtun and (b) are training to speak Pashtun.

(176084)

521
N Mr Michael Fallon (Sevenoaks): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what arrangements are in place for the removal and transport of hazardous materials from Fort Halstead in Kent; what such materials have been removed from the site in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(175557)

522
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to allow recruitment to the Parachute Regiment Reserve in Wales.

(176266)

523
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's original estimate was of the overall projected cost of the Defence Information Infrastructure; what his current estimate is of the overall projected cost; and if he will make a statement.

(176095)

524
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what savings the Defence Information Infrastructure made in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(176096)

525
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons the Atlas consortium was awarded a DII add-on contract in December 2006; what progress has been made on the original contract; and if he will make a statement.

(176097)

526
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2007, Official Report, column 778W, on nuclear submarines, what safeguards are in place to prevent UK submarine commanders launching a nuclear attack on their own initiative; and if he will make a statement.

(175623)

527
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his timetable is for concluding the review into hyperbaric experiments excluding the use of (a) goats and (b) any other animals; and which alternative methods are being considered.

(175990)

528
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if the Government will take steps to sequester assets of the government of Iran in the UK to the value of the British military equipment which was seized in (a) 2004 and (b) 2007; and if he will make a statement.

(176065)

529
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the decision was made to complete and publish his Department's review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office before the Government-commissioned review of Trading Funds, currently being carried out by Cambridge University, had been completed.

(176699)

530
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, why the his Department's review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office does not incorporate any of the recommendations made in the 2006 Office of Fair Trading report - The Commercial Use of Public Sector Information.

(176700)

531
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has discussed the conclusions of his Department's review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office with the Office of Fair Trading.

(176701)

532
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, why there was no call for evidence as part of the early stages of the departmental review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.

(176702)

533
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department spent on art work in each year since 2001 (a) in total and (b) for its London headquarters.

(176837)

534
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many medical personnel were hired by his Department under private contract to work in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq in each of the last three years; and what the cost of hiring such staff was.

(176838)

535
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which private companies his Department uses to hire medical personnel for service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

(176839)

536
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will break down by specialisation those medical personnel hired by his Department under private contract to work in Afghanistan and Iraq.

(176840)

537
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service dates for all military helicopters were in each year since 1997.

(176841)

538
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the planned out of service dates for all fixed-wing aircraft were in each year since 1997.

(176842)

539
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many service personnel have (a) not received their salaries in full and (b) not received any salary payment in each of the last 12 months; what the total sums (i) underpaid and (ii) not paid were; and how much is outstanding.

(175794)

540
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by how much UK troop numbers in Iraq were reduced in each of the last six months in net terms; and by how much UK troop numbers are expected to be reduced in each of the next six months, in net terms.

(175795)

541
Mr George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects the review into the Nimrod conducted by Mr Charles Haddon-Cave QC to be published.

(176269)

542
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much in near cash terms was spent on service retention in each financial year since 2002-03.

(176278)

543
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons he chose the Ridgeback to meet his requirement for additional specialist protected vehicles for Afghanistan.

(176279)

544
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much in near cash terms was paid out in severance payments in each financial year since 2002-03.

(176280)

545
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much in near cash terms was spent on civilian recruitment in each financial year since 2002-03.

(176281)

546
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average rate of increase of indices used in variation of price formulae for fixed price contracts was in each financial year since 1997-98.

(176282)

547
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's RfR 1 operating cost statement (level 4 view) for each financial year since 2001-02.

(176283)

548
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's RfR 1 balance sheet (level 4 view) for each financial year since 2001-02.

(176284)

549
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of all extant Defence Analytical Services Agency service level agreements.

(176285)

550
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which statistical publications have been produced by the Defence Analytical Services Agency since 1997.

(176286)

551
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of each of the Defence Analytical Service Agency's quarterly `what if' fuel price forecasts issued since 2001-02.

(176287)

552
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of each annual review of the Defence Analytical Service Agency's `what if' fuel price forecast model issued since 2001-02.

(176288)

553
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the likely savings to the defence budget achievable through the adoption of fuel hedging.

(176289)

554
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of (a) the Defence and Analytical Services Agency's (DASA) monthly price index booklet, (b) DASA's quarterly price index forecasts, (c) DASA's quarterly foreign price index, (d) DASA's negotiators' briefing pack issued in 2007 and (e) the DASA electronic price indices query tool.

(176290)

555
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will place in the Library copies of all price indices used by his Department in variation of price clauses in fixed price contracts.

(176291)

556
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's (a) US dollar and (b) euro general accounting rate was in each financial year since 1997-98.

(176292)

557
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will break down his Department's RfR1 near cash resource expenditure by (a) value and (b) standard industrial classification for each financial year since 2001-02.

(176293)

558
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will break down his Department's RfR1 capital expenditure by (a) value and (b) standard industrial classification for each financial year since 2001-02.

(176294)

559
N Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much he plans to spend on a replacement for the UK strategic nuclear deterrent in each year of procurement; and whether this spending is included in the overall allocation for his Department announced as part of the conclusions of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

(175589)

560
N Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, by whom each soldier killed during the 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment/2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiments' recent operational tour in Helmand Province was replaced in the order of battle.

(175622)

561
Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his policy is on the provision of support to the former spouses of service personnel following marriage breakdown.

(175624)

562
Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what documents dealing with contingency arrangements for an influenza pandemic have been (a) prepared by and (b) commissioned by his Department since 1st March 2005; and if he will make a statement.

(175797)

563
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176504)

564
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many branded plastic bags his Department has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176505)

565
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what total value of (a) land and (b) facilities is surplus to his Department's foreseeable purposes in Northern Ireland; and what plans he has to dispose of such assets.

(176656)

566
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total value of (a) land and (b) facilities gifted, donated or loaned to local community initiatives by his Department was in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years.

(176657)

567
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what total value of his Department's (a) land and (b) buildings was sold in each region of the UK in each of the last 10 years.

(176658)

568
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what mechanism exists for liaison between his Department and the Northern Ireland Office when considering disposal of departmental (a) land and (b) buildings in Northern Ireland.

(176659)

569
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what account is taken of community cohesion when considering the disposal of departmental (a) land and (b) buildings in Northern Ireland.

(176660)

570
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the defence budget was for Northern Ireland in each of the last 30 years at 2007 prices.

(176663)

571
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will consider gifting his Department's land and facilities to local communities to promote inter-community cohension initiatives.

(176812)

572
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 27th November 2007, Official Report, column 309W, on Departmental Coordination, on what date his Department was consulted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

(176152)

573
N David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14th November 2007, Official Report, column 897W, on departmental official hospitality, what records were kept of entertainment or hospitality received by past or present members of (a) the Defence Council, (b) the Defence Management Board, (c) Defence Equipment and Support, (d) Defence Estates, (e) Science, Innovation and Technology TLB, (f) Central TLB and (g) Defence Export Services Organisation in each of the the last three (i) financial and (ii) calendar years.

(175596)

574
N David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which members of (a) the Defence Council, (b) the Defence Management Board, (c) Defence Equipment and Support, (d) Defence Estates, (e) Science, Innovation and Technology TLB and (f) Central TLB attended the reception hosted by defence equipment manufacturers at the Automobile Club in London on Tuesday 18th September 2007.

(175951)

575
N David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what procedures are in place to ensure that invitations to events received by officials in his Department from private companies are assessed using the Gifts, Reward and Hospitality Annex of the Statement of Civilian and Service Personnel Policy.

(175952)

576
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175980)

577
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the total cost incurred by military bases in the UK in relation to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

(175983)

578
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176022)

579
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what audits his Department and its agencies carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176484)

580
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176626)

581
N Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the greatest number of people employed at Fort Halstead in Kent has been; and in which year that number of people were employed.

(176277)

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

582
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176921)

583
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect upon residents and visitors in nitrate vulnerable zones of the proposals to ban slurry-spreading over winter.

(176734)

584
N Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on farmers in Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency of the costs associated with meeting the slurry storage requirements under the proposals for nitrate vulnerable zones.

(176735)

585
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his estimate is of the revenue which will be obtained from auctioning of allowances under Phase II of the European Emissions Trading Scheme in each year over the period of the scheme; what proportion of this revenue he expects will be spent on schemes (a) to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and (b) to mitigate the effects of global warming; and if he will make a statement.

(175650)

586
Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of offshore aggregate dredging on sea defences and erosion along the East Anglian coastline on the Norfolk economy; what his policy is on the future of offshore aggregate dredging; and if he will make a statement.

(175602)

587
N Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what rules his Department has set for the export of lamb carcases with mesenteric fat attached.

(175954)

588
Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) BAA, (b) Department for Transport officials, (c) Department of Transport Ministers and (d) other non-departmental staff were involved in the production of Putting noise on the map, airport maps relating to Heathrow airport published on 18th December 2007; and if he will make a statement.

(176957)

589
N Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether (a) Ministers and (b) staff were invited to participate in the project for the sustainable development of Heathrow; whether they participated; and if he will make a statement.

(176958)

590
N Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether any of his Departmental staff who were involved in preparing the Putting noise on the map airport noise maps published by his Department on 18th December 2007, contributed to the Project for Sustainable Development of Heathrow within the Department for Transport; and if he will make a statement.

(176959)

591
N Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what meetings his Department had with the Department for Transport on the outcome of the Putting noise on the map airport noise maps published by his Department on 18th January 2007, prior to the Government's launch of the Adding Capacity at Heathrow public consultation; and if he will make a statement.

(176960)

592
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the destination was of garden waste collected from residents homes by each waste collection authority in Hampshire in the latest period for which figures are available.

(176883)

593
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people employed in his Department work on administering EU structural funds; and what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07.

(176046)

594
N Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what adverse health reactions arising from exposure to mercury have been reported among those working in the manufacture of mercury barometers in the UK in the last 10 years.

(175989)

595
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the procedure is for monitoring groundwater levels; how frequently such monitoring is carried out; and what plans he has to increase the frequency.

(175666)

596
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will include representatives of insurance companies in the work of local flood forums.

(175667)

597
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to acquire mapping information on surface water flooding from (a) the Association of British Insurers and (b) local authorities with a view to identifying areas at highest risk of flooding.

(175668)

598
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to review the flood warning system operated by the Environment Agency, including the most appropriate form of warning given; and if he will introduce an opt-out system of flood warning registration.

(175669)

599
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will invite local authorities to encourage parish councillors to act as flood wardens to alert the most vulnerable people to imminent risk of floods.

(175670)

600
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to simplify the infrastructure and division of responsibilities between the responsible agencies in relation to drains and drainage.

(175672)

601
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of combined sewers on flooding; and what estimate his Department has made of the cost of (a) removing and (b) phasing out combined sewers.

(175988)

602
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps have been taken to prevent flooding in Cleethorpes constituency; and what plans he has for additional steps to be taken.

(176865)

603
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many incidents of fly-tipping were recorded in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each of the last five years.

(176866)

604
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice the Government has received from the Environment Agency on the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones directive.

(175754)

605
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Government has made of the costs likely to be incurred by farmers for arranging slurry storage for six months under the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones directive.

(175755)

606
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans the Government has to compensate farmers for the extra costs incurred in storing slurry for six months under the proposed nitrate vulnerable zones directive.

(175756)

607
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of requiring a restricted time frame to be imposed for spreading of slurry on voluntary agreements to avoid such work on weekends and bank holidays.

(175757)

608
Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to review the premises excluded from section 102 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, with particular reference to transport-based premises; and if he will make a statement.

(175601)

609
Mr James Paice (South East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of England's comparative performance against (a) other EU member states, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland in making payments under the 2007 single payment scheme.

(175614)

610
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has given to local authorities on the use of barcodes on receptacles for household rubbish.

(176166)

611
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether additional funding will be given to local authorities taking part in the pilots for new bin taxes.

(176167)

612
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what adjustment the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund makes for the effect of radiative forcing.

(176168)

613
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund differentiates between domestic and international flights.

(176169)

614
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many tonnes of equivalent carbon dioxide emissions have been offset by the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund in each year since its creation.

(176170)

615
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fly-tipping incidents involved household waste were recorded by Flycapture in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07 in each local authority in England.

(176172)

616
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities are undertaking pilot schemes in relation to introducing alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to the Waste Resources Action Programme records.

(176173)

617
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, columns 42-3W, on waste disposal: costs, what the average cost per household was of collecting household waste in councils with (a) weekly rubbish collections and (b) alternate weekly collections.

(176261)

618
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to impose compulsory water meters on currently unmetered family homes.

(176526)

619
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average water bill in (a) England and Wales and (b) each water company area was for a household with (i) a single person, (ii) a family of three on a meter and (iii) a family of five on a meter in the latest period for which figures are available.

(176527)

620
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the average water bill in (a) England and Wales and (b) each water company area was for an unmetered household with (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four bedrooms in the latest period for which figures are available.

(176528)

621
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff have been seconded to (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme in the last 12 months; from which outside body; and what the length was of the secondment in each case.

(176529)

622
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the purpose is of his Department's Spatial Information Repository; and which datasets it will hold.

(176530)

623
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proposals Natural England have made to remove or change green belt protection.

(176531)

624
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on charging charity shops for waste disposal; and if he will make a statement.

(176532)

625
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate the Environment Agency has made of the proportion and volume of household rubbish that is burned by households in their gardens.

(176533)

626
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether individuals on council tax benefit are expected to receive a full exemption from the proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collections.

(176534)

627
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimates have been made of whether the proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collection are expected to increase or decrease the total tax burden on families with children.

(176535)

628
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what penalties councils will be able to levy for non-payment of the proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collection.

(176536)

629
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's latest projection is of the likely change in fly tipping in (a) percentage and (b) volume terms, broken down by local authority, under the plans for proposed new charges for domestic rubbish collection.

(176537)

630
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what requests the Environment Agency has made to local authorities to increase the council tax precept to pay for increased flood defences in the 2008-09 financial year.

(176538)

631
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much central Government funding the Waste and Resources Action programme will receive in each of the next three years in cash terms.

(176539)

632
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate (a) his Department and (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme has made of the number of waste collection authorities in England that use (i) sacks and (ii) wheelie bins for collecting residual household waste.

(176540)

633
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions were (a) undertaken and (b) successful in relation to fly-tipping incidents in 2006-07 in (i) absolute terms and (ii) as a percentage of the total number of fly-tipping incidents.

(176541)

634
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what new powers have been given to local authorities to (a) seize and (b) inspect vehicles, in relation to waste offences, in the last 12 months.

(176542)

635
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has given to local authorities on whether the disposing of domestic rubbish in a municipal litter bin constitutes an offence.

(176543)

636
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research has been conducted by (a) his Department and (b) OFWAT into the relative distributional effects of rateable value for domestic water bills following the publication by his Department of the Cross-Government Review of Water Affordability Report in 2004.

(176544)

637
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which waste collection authorities in England, according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme, have (i) no side waste collection policies and (ii) closed lid collection policies with regard to the collection of household waste.

(176545)

638
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department and its agencies have given to local authorities on the environmental effects of municipal (a) bonfires and (b) firework displays.

(176546)

639
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Government's waste minimisation efforts in light of the recent evidence given by his Department's Director of Sustainable Consumption to the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.

(176547)

640
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made, and what research was undertaken, by (a) his Department, (b) his consultants Eunomia and (c) the Waste Resources Action Programme into the change in the burning of household rubbish following the imposition of new bin taxes.

(176548)

641
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have now ceased weekly collections of residual household rubbish according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) Waste Resource Action Programme across the United Kingdom.

(176549)

642
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations the Environment Agency made to the (a) former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and (b) Department for Communities and Local Government on whether home information packs should include information on (i) contaminated land reports and (ii) flood risk, as a required element.

(176550)

643
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department has given waste collection authorities on (a) closed lid polices and (b) no side waste policies in relation to the collection of household waste.

(176551)

644
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building used by his Department.

(176553)

645
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research has been conducted into the incident of MRSA bacteria within household rubbish.

(176554)

646
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many plastic bags (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176555)

647
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what additional funding is being provided to local authorities undertaking the rubbish tax pilots.

(176556)

648
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities received grant funding from the (a) Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund, (b) Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant and (c) Behavioural Change Local Fund in each year since 2005-06; and what projects received grants in each case.

(176564)

649
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment has been made of the effect of higher charges for the collection and disposal of waste on levels of waste-related offences.

(176565)

650
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to allow charges for householders using civic amenity sites to dispose of household residual waste.

(176566)

651
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalties were issued for (a) putting domestic rubbish in the wrong container, (b) leaving domestic rubbish out on the wrong day and (c) overfilling a wheelie bin with domestic rubbish in the last year for which figures are available.

(176567)

652
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency has made of the number of households who burn household rubbish in their garden.

(176568)

653
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what methodology is used by the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund to calculate the distance travelled to require one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent to be offset.

(176570)

654
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what mechanisms will be used to tackle non-payment by residents of the proposed charges for the collection of household waste; and whether the rubbish collection of non-payers will be cancelled for non-payment.

(176571)

655
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of performance against targets set for local authorities on recycling and composting, in each year since 2000-01.

(176572)

656
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion and volume of household waste collected for recycling was sent (a) overseas and (b) to China, for processing in the latest period for which figures are available.

(176573)

657
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department's definition of revenue neutral for its proposals for new taxes on the collection of household rubbish would include the costs of (a) technology to weigh individual bins, (b) computer systems to record bin weights and generate invoices, (c) administration of customer databases, (d) systems for dealing with rented property and houses of multiple occupation, (e) systems for dealing with disputes, non-payment and bad debts, (f) enforcement, (g) publicity and promotion and (h) clearing up additional fly-tipping; and whether the householder would be expected to pay for these additional costs via (i) the rubbish tax and (ii) council tax.

(176574)

658
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which organisations have been contacted to tender for the contract to conduct the evaluations into the pilots for new bin taxes.

(176575)

659
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what procurement guidance (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has produced for local authorities, on the purchase of receptacles for the collection of household rubbish.

(176576)

660
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what payments (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme has made to (i) Waste Information Services Ltd and (ii) the Sauce Consultancy in the last 36 months.

(176577)

661
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timetable is for introduction of new charges for the collection of household rubbish.

(176578)

662
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what guidance his Department produced on whether environmental information regulations provisions apply to regional chambers.

(176579)

663
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding has been provided by his Department for the development of FloodRanger by Discovery Software.

(176580)

664
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research (a) his Department and (b) the Environment Agency has undertaken into burning of household waste inside the curtilage of domestic dwellings.

(176581)

665
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what work or research is being undertaken or has been commissioned by his (a) Department and (b) its agencies in relation to the development of XML Schema to facilitate sharing of information between public authorities.

(176582)

666
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research and statistical data gathering has been conducted by the Waste Resources Action Programme into the proportion and volume of household rubbish collected for recycling that is not recycled.

(176583)

667
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff in his Department are developing or researching policy in relation to (a) charging for the collection of household waste and (b) the frequency at which household waste is collected.

(176584)

668
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to stop the over-charging by local authorities of charity shops for collecting and disposing of waste from their shops.

(176585)

669
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions and communications (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme have had with the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment in relation to the Northern Ireland Waste Management Strategy 2006-2020 and bringing forward for public consultation proposals to give councils powers to charge for the collection of household waste.

(176698)

670
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which waste collection authorities did not provide data for Flycapture for 2006-07; and for what reasons.

(176765)

671
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Flycapture Enforcement training package, including the module on the Regulation and Investigatory Power Act 2000.

(176766)

672
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library the data from Flycapture for the (a) number of fly tipping incidents and (b) proportion of incidents which involved household waste in each local authority in England in (i) 2004-05, (ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07.

(176767)

673
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities in the United Kingdom have alternate weekly collections of household rubbish according to records held by (a) his Department and (b) the Waste Resources Action Programme; and on what date the alternate weekly collection was introduced in each case.

(176768)

674
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will place in the Library the data from WasteDataFlow showing the (a) final destination of materials sent for recycling, (b) tonnage sent for recycling and (c) quantity sent for recycling but rejected/disposed of by each local authority in England in 2006-07.

(176769)

675
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) new build and (b) refurbishment projects in 2005-06 met the targets under the Framework of Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

(175950)

676
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to meet the target of ensuring the Central Government Office Estate is carbon neutral by 2012.

(175960)

677
Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps were taken in (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 against the objective of making the Central Government Office Estate carbon neutral.

(176724)

678
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the Government's policy is on biodegradable plastics.

(175741)

679
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to introduce a (a) quality assurance scheme and (b) kite mark for biodegradable plastics.

(175742)

680
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the percentage of waste which went to landfill in England that was made up of plastics that could not be recycled in each of the last five years.

(175743)

681
Mr John Randall (Uxbridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions (a) he and (b) officials from his Department have had with third parties on the use of biodegradeable plastics.

(175753)

682
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of farmers in Copeland who have diversified into other business areas in the latest period for which figures are available.

(175932)

683
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total value is of single farm payments made to farmers within Copeland since the payments began.

(175935)

684
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what percentage of single farm payments owed to farmers within Copeland for (a) 2005-06 and (b) 2006-07 has not yet been paid.

(175936)

685
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects his Department to make a formal response to the recently concluded public consultation on managing radioactive waste safely.

(175937)

686
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the gross value added of (a) England, (b) the North West and (c) Copeland was derived from commercial fishing over the last 20 years.

(175938)

687
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proportion of the gross value added of the Copeland area was dependent upon the farming industry in the latest period for which figures are available.

(175940)

688
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the impact of the recent foot and mouth disease outbreak on the agricultural economy of (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland.

(175949)

689
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what pollution incidents there were involving more than 0.01 tonnes of spillage in the Irish Sea in each year since 2003; on what date each occurred; what size the spillage was; and which company (a) reported and (b) was responsible for each incident.

(176661)

690
Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make a statement on the recent co-operation between the Government and the government of the Republic of Ireland on the monitoring of pollution in the Irish Sea.

(176662)

691
N Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to encourage the European Commission to include carbon emissions from transport under the evaluative criteria for the European eco-label; and if he will encourage the Commission to promote water-borne freight as a means of cutting these emissions.

(176093)

692
N Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he has taken to incorporate provision for water-borne freight into his Department's climate change agreements.

(176094)

693
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176021)

694
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176462)

695
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176625)

696
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1272W, on Fisheries: Enforcement, for what reasons the number of hours of aerial surveillance tasked have been reduced since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(176127)

697
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on European Fisheries Fund, what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the UK's Operational Programme for the spending of the European Fisheries Fund; and if he will make a statement.

(176128)

698
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on European Fisheries Fund (EFF), what discussions he has had with (a) the European Commission and (b) his counterparts in EU member states on the possible reduction in the EFF budget for the UK that the Commission could impose for (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008; and if he will make a statement.

(176129)

699
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on European Fisheries Fund, what representations he has made to the European Commission on the possibility of the 2007 European Fisheries Fund monies for the UK being carried over to future years; and if he will make a statement.

(176130)

700
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on European Fisheries Fund, when he expects to know whether the European Commission will permit the UK to carry over the European Fisheries Fund for (a) 2007 and (b) 2008 until such time that the UK Operational Programme is approved; and if he will make a statement.

(176131)

701
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 1269W, on European Fisheries Fund, whether he plans to raise the issue of the European Fisheries Fund and the carry over of monies from (a) 2007 and (b) 2008, at the December Fisheries Council meeting; and if he will make a statement.

(176132)

702
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, whether the Ministry of Defence provides replacement vessels in the event of a Davit fault; and if he will make a statement.

(176133)

703
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, whether replacement vessels were provided between 15th and 19th June 2007 when the three River Class offshore patrol vessels were recalled due to a Davit fault; whether his Department or the Marine and Fisheries Agency incurred any extra costs; and if he will make a statement.

(176134)

704
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, if he will provide the Marine and Fisheries Agency with the resources required to implement the European rules on electronic recording and reporting of fishing activities; and if he will make a statement.

(176135)

705
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, whether the Marine and Fisheries Agency or his Department will incur extra costs if vessels are required in the event that one or more River Class offshore patrol vessels are experiencing extended time off task; and if he will make a statement.

(176136)

706
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, under what circumstances the Ministry of Defence would provide replacement vessels; what his definition is of extended time off task; and if he will make a statement.

(176137)

707
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 409W, on Fisheries: Protection, for how many patrol days a River Class offshore patrol vessel would need to be unavailable for the Ministry of Defence to provide a replacement; and if he will make a statement.

(176138)

708
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 21st November 2007, Official Report, column 865W on Fisheries: Quotas, on what Quota Management Change Programme proposals his Department was prepared to consult in autumn 2007; if he will place a copy of drafts in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

(176139)

709
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much the new contract with the Royal Navy Fishery Protection Squadron, beginning on 1st April 2008, will cost in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176140)

710
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will break down by subheading his Department's planned budget for fisheries enforcement in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176141)

711
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will break down by the subheading his Department's budget for fisheries enforcement in 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

(176142)

712
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the value of fish caught by the 10 metre and under fleet in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(176143)

713
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects to make changes to the management and quota arrangements for the 10 metre and under fleet; and if he will make a statement.

(176144)

714
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the commercial value of all fish stocks discarded by UK-registered vessels in (a) UK waters and (b) non-UK waters in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by fish stock; and if he will make a statement.

(176145)

715
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the effect of the proposals in the Planning Bill on (a) the proposed Marine Bill and (b) the marine environment; and if he will make a statement.

(176146)

716
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many improvement notices have been issued under section 10 of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, broken down by the issuing authority; and if he will make a statement.

(176147)

717
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his Department's responsibilities are for bat protection; and if he will make a statement.

(176148)

718
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the number of patrol days carried out by the Hunt Class inshore patrol vessels, Island Class offshore patrol vessels and River Class offshore patrol vessels for the 2006-07 period stated in the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, column 61W, on Fisheries: Navy, were different to those stated in the Answer of 22nd November 2007, Official Report, column 1058W.

(176275)

719
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22nd November 2007, Official Report, column 1058W, on Fisheries: Navy, whether the unused contracted Royal Navy Fishery Protection Squadron patrol days may be (a) carried over to future years and (b) refunded to his Department; and if he will make a statement.

(176276)

720
Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 23rd July 2007, Official Report, columns 649-59W on Fisheries: Protection, whether the annual cost of the new contract with the Royal Navy Fishery Protection Squadron, beginning on 1st April 2008, will vary depending on the number of patrol days contracted in each year; and if he will make a statement.

(176342)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

721
N Mr John Baron (Billericay): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26th July 2007, Official Report, columns 1470-1W, on Iraq: documents, whether the copy of the draft sent to Lord Hutton's inquiry was redacted.

(175520)

722
N Mr John Baron (Billericay): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26th July 2007, Official Report, columns 1470-1W, on Iraq: documents, whether the Government requested the Hutton inquiry not to publish (a) all or (b) part of the draft Iraq dossier.

(175521)

723
N Mr John Baron (Billericay): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the differences between the draft Iraq dossier written by Mr John Williams dated 9th September 2002 and Mr John Scarlett's draft of 10th September 2002.

(175522)

724
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the change in the volume of goods moved in and out of the Gaza Strip in the last 12 months.

(176155)

725
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176916)

726
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Malaysian Government on the imprisonment of Hindu Rights Action Force leaders P. Uthayakumar, M. Manoharan, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kenghadharan and T. Vasanthakumar under the Malaysian Internal Security Act.

(176089)

727
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the Malaysian Government regarding Malaysia's Internal Security Act, with particular reference to its provisions which allow indefinite detention without charge or trial.

(176090)

728
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on which occasions in the last 12 months he raised concerns about human rights in Saudi Arabia with (a) the King of Saudi Arabia, (b) members of the Government of Saudi Arabia and (c) non-governmental organisations in Saudi Arabia.

(176874)

729
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether facilities were offered to Lord Ashcroft during his recent visit to Bolivia by the UK Embassy; and whether the Embassy incurred costs for entertaining him and his party.

(176878)

730
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations were made to the King of Saudi Arabia on the recent threatened punishment of a 19 year old female rape victim.

(176879)

731
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has raised concerns with the Antarctic Treaty Secretariat on pollution from the sinking of a passenger cruise vessel in Antarctic waters.

(176880)

732
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to make a territorial claim on Antarctica; and what advice he has received on potential conflicts with the Antarctic Treaty Act.

(176881)

733
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, columns 161-2W, on Middle East: peace negotiations, how much has been spent on the (a) salaries, (b) travel costs and (c) other costs of the four members of staff who have been seconded to Mr Blair's team.

(176080)

734
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, column 162W, on Middle East: peace negotiations, if he will request the European Union to seek the publishing by the Quartet of details of Mr Blair's team, costs and funding.

(176081)

735
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in what roles his Department employs native Pashtun speakers.

(176082)

736
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many members of staff in his Department (a) speak Pashtun and (b) are training to speak Pashtun.

(176085)

737
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, columns 161-2W, on Middle East: peace negotiations, how much is available in the UN Development Programme Trust Fund; and what further sums the UK will be providing to the fund in the next 12 months.

(176156)

738
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet relatives of British citizens Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie to discuss the finding of the Coroner of New South Wales in November 2007 on the deaths of Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie and four others in Timor-Leste in October 1975; and if he will make a statement.

(176810)

739
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the families of Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie and their representatives the information issued by his Department on the deaths of Mr Peters and Mr Rennie in Timor-Leste in 1975 since that date; and if he will make a statement.

(176811)

740
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) A, (b) B, (c) I and (d) False B Points were presented to the Council from the Committee of Permanent Representatives in 2007.

(176825)

741
Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people form the UK's (a) Committee of Permanent Representatives I and (b) Committee of Permanent Representatives II to the EU Council.

(176826)

742
Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from the Armenian government on formally acknowledging the loss of life in Armenia between 1915 and 1923 as genocide.

(175953)

743
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff work in his Department's European Directorate; what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07; and what each Directorate member's responsibilities are.

(176050)

744
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the political situation in the Palestinian territories.

(176092)

745
N Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he proposes to deposit the UK's instruments of ratification of the Lisbon Treaty with the relevant body.

(175586)

746
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had on the European Commission's working programme for 2008.

(176847)

747
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in negotiations with the Maldives on maritime demarcations between Maldive territorial waters and those around the Chagos Archipelago; and if he will make a statement.

(175823)

748
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what use was made of the equidistance principle in determining the maritime boundaries between the Republic of Maldives and the United Kingdom territory of the Chagos Archipelago; and if he will make a statement.

(175826)

749
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library copies of the exchange of correspondence between the UK and the Republic of Maldives that led to the Memorandum of Agreement of 1993 on the Chagos Archipelago maritime delimitation line.

(175827)

750
Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the UK has made to the government of the Republic of the Maldives on human rights and the development of parliamentary democracy; and if he will make a statement.

(175829)

751
Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he and (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had in the last six months with officials from the Palestinian Authority to discuss progress on the Middle East peace plan; and if he will make a statement.

(175565)

752
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many conferences, events or away days have been held at Wilton Park on behalf of the (a) Deputy Prime Minister's Office, (b) former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, (c) former Valuation Office Agency and (d) Department for Communities and Local Government since May 2001.

(176352)

753
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for how long the right hon. Member for Ashfield had an official residence in Admiralty House whilst Minister for Europe.

(176353)

754
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total value of payments made by his Department to the Cabinet Office were in respect of the residence of the right hon. Member for Ashfield in Admiralty House.

(176354)

755
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many FCO-branded plastic bags his Department has procured; and at what cost in the last 24 months for which figures are available.

(176355)

756
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176356)

757
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what changes have been made to the fittings and fixtures of the official Ministerial residence in Admiralty House previously occupied by the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull and now occupied by Lord Malloch-Brown in the last 12 months.

(176930)

758
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Canadian counterpart on the environmental consequences of developing the Alberta tar sands; and if he will make a statement.

(175660)

759
Angus Robertson (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely long-term contribution to the Middle East peace process of the Annapolis conference; and what progress has been made in the peace process since the conference took place.

(175663)

760
Angus Robertson (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on the rights of children and young people.

(175664)

761
Angus Robertson (Moray): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on EU development policy.

(175665)

762
Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the steps Serbia is taking to hand over those charged with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre for trial in the Hague; and if he will make a statement.

(175584)

763
Mr Mohammad Sarwar (Glasgow Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the refusal by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to take part in peace initiatives in the Delta area of Nigeria on the safety of international oil workers.

(175585)

764
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the National Minimum Wage.

(175981)

765
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176480)

766
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what requirements his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176624)

767
Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the Treaty of Lisbon, if ratified, on development of EU policy to tackle climate change.

(175644)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

768
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176920)

769
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government has taken to improve the quality of services for mental health patients since 1997.

(175592)

770
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps the Government plans to take to improve the quality of food provided for patients in hospitals.

(175593)

771
N Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much the Government has spent on updating hospital equipment since 1997.

(175594)

772
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has issued to members of the public on living wills; and what plans he has to revise such advice.

(175732)

773
N Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on the Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust of the removal of the specialist top-up funds paid to district general hospitals.

(176646)

774
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of people with diabetes in each London health care trust was screened for diabetic retinopathy in relation to the targets outlined in the National Framework for Diabetes: Delivery Service in each year since 2003.

(175595)

775
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many psychiatrists were employed by each London mental health trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

(175999)

776
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many psychiatrist nurses were employed by each London mental health trust in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

(176000)

777
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the Health Commission star rating is for each London mental health trust; and if he will make a statement.

(176001)

778
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many successful appeals against involuntary detention for treatment there were in each London mental health trust in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176028)

779
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been detained involuntarily for treatment under the Mental Health Act in each London mental health trust in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176029)

780
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was for talk therapies in each London mental health trust in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

(176030)

781
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average waiting time was for a first appointment with a mental health professional following referral by a GP in the last five years, broken down by London mental health trust; and if he will make a statement.

(176031)

782
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the rate of occupancy of psychiatric beds was in each London mental health trust in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176032)

783
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many psychiatric beds there were in each London mental health trust in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(176033)

784
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many vacant psychiatric posts there are in each London mental health trust; and if he will make a statement.

(176034)

785
Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what progress has been made in reviewing the impact of the market forces factor on (a) the overall NHS funding formula and (b) overall budgets of NHS trusts.

(176052)

786
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had on the planned closure of the Henderson Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

(176859)

787
Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the (a) services funded by the Henderson Hospital and (b) proposals to provide those services via alternate means.

(176860)

788
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether all patients must be offered access to a consultant within 13 weeks of referral under the choose and book system; whether it is possible to book appointments more than 13 weeks ahead under the choose and book system; and if he will make a statement.

(175583)

789
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 17th December 2007, Official Report, column 119GW, on breast cancer screening to Question 171702 of 17th December 2007, what assessment he has made of the reasons for Uttlesford's perforamnce on breast cancer screening; and what steps he is taking to improve that performance.

(176678)

790
N Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether dispensing contractors will be allowed to contract out a full dispensing service of appliances to other organisations under proposed amendments to the Regulatory Terms of Service of Pharmacy and Appliance Contractors in relation to dispensing items listed in Part IX of the Drug Tariff.

(176932)

791
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the 15th October 2007 meeting of the National Child Health Immunisation Board.

(176947)

792
Mr Stephen O'Brien (Eddisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library copies of the appendices to the Child Health Interim Application Options Appraisal Process final report.

(176948)

793
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the expenditure was of the North West Health Brussels Office in the last year for which figures are available.

(176374)

794
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research (a) his Department and (b) the Health Protection Agency has undertaken on the health effects of the burning of household waste inside the curtilage of domestic dwellings.

(176375)

795
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176376)

796
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of collecting figures for (a) inpatient and (b) outpatient waiting times in 2007-08.

(175571)

797
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the time taken by each primary care trust to inform women of the results of their cervical smear tests; and if he will make a statement.

(175572)

798
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of collecting the data used to monitor progress against his Department's cancer waiting time targets in 2007-08.

(175573)

799
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what each primary care trust's budget for smoking cessation services was in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

(175574)

800
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which primary care trusts use digital mammography for breast cancer screening; and if he will make a statement.

(175575)

801
Mark Simmonds (Boston & Skegness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many radiotherapy fractions were delivered by each primary care trust in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(175576)

802
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the purchase of disposable respirators and face masks for a possible flu pandemic will be sourced in the UK.

(176150)

803
Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will consider issuing guidance on the notification of infectious diseases in nursery establishments.

(176931)

804
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of people likely to have undiagnosed active Lyme disease; and what steps his Department will take to (a) identify these people and (b) raise awareness of Lyme disease and its symptoms amongst GPs.

(176270)

805
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of blood tests as a tool for diagnosis of late-stage Lyme disease; and what other tools for diagnosis he is considering.

(176271)

806
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was raised from prescription charges in 2006-07.

(175975)

807
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the National Minimum Wage.

(175982)

808
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total cost incurred by hospital trusts in relation to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

(175984)

809
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the total cost was of collecting prescription charges in the last financial year.

(175985)

810
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176020)

811
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176463)

812
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176479)

813
N Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make representations to the Chief Executive Officer of the Eastern and Coastal Primary Care Trust to address the concerns raised in a letter to him dated 6th November 2007 from the hon. Member for Sittingbourne and Sheppey on behalf of Rodmersham Women's Institute on the changes to community hospitals in general and at Sittingbourne Memorial Hospital in particular.

(176264)

814
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many hospital-acquired infections there were in (a) the West Suffolk Hospital, (b) the Walnuttree hospital, Sudbury and (c) the Newmarket hospital in the most recent period for which figures are available.

(175581)

815
Mr Tim Yeo (South Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many wards at the Walnuttree hospital, Sudbury are not in use.

(175582)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

816
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176918)

817
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK passports issued in Belfast were reported as either lost or stolen in 2006.

(175642)

818
N Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what criteria she used to determine which of the 19,000 foreign nationals, dealt with as old cases, have been granted leave to remain; how many of these have previous convictions either in the UK or another country; what checks were made in the UK, or sought in other countries, in respect of such convictions; how many of these foreign nationals have dependents who are eligible for, or have received, leave to remain; if she will break down the 19,000 foreign nationals by (a) nationality and (b) type of case; and if she will make a statement.

(176053)

819
N Philip Davies (Shipley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost has been of Project Semaphore since its inception; and if she will make a statement.

(176720)

820
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the variations in rates charged by intermediary bodies to individuals and small organisations for processing of Criminal Records Bureau checks; what assessment she has made of the effect of such charges on individuals and small organisations; and what assessment of the effect was made before the entry into force of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

(175717)

821
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect on the Criminal Records Bureau application system of the entry into force of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006; and what assessment she has made of the effects of these changes on (a) processing time and (b) financial efficiency of (i) the Criminal Records Bureau and (ii) applicants or employers using intermediary bodies.

(175718)

822
Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, column 98W, on Proscribed Organisations Appeals Commission (POAC) and the subsequent refusal of the POAC to permit the Government to appeal against its order to the Home Secretary to lift the ban on the prohibition of the People's Mujahedeen of Iran, what steps the Government is taking to comply with the judgement and implement the order.

(175673)

823
Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will publish the report of the Crosby review of identity management.

(175659)

824
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it mandatory for holders of licences to use animals in scientific procedures to provide abstracts for publication on her Department's website.

(176884)

825
Kate Hoey (Vauxhall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to require UK citizens resident in Northern Ireland to carry and show their passports when travelling to the rest of the UK.

(175651)

826
Mr Boris Johnson (Henley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers in (a) England and (b) London were aged (a) 18 to 25, (b) 26 to 30, (c) 31 to 35, (d) 36 to 40, (e) 41 to 45, (f) 46 to 50, (g) 51 to 55, (h) 56 to 60, (i) 61 to 65 and (j) over 65 years in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by (i) sex and (ii) ethnicity.

(175563)

827
Mr Boris Johnson (Henley): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the maximum number of new police officers is that can be trained by each English police force in 2007-08.

(175578)

828
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in (a) Cleethorpes constituency and (b) Great Grimsby constituency in each year since their introduction.

(176862)

829
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police community support officers there were in each division of Humberside Police in each of the last three years.

(176863)

830
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what research her Department has conducted into the prevalence of violence between 9.00 pm and 5.00 am.

(176439)

831
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the number of cases of criminal damage which occurred after 9:00pm in each of the last two years.

(176440)

832
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Home Office-branded plastic bags her Department has procured in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176441)

833
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the maximum increase in business rates is that can be levied on licensed premises in an alcohol disorder zone.

(176703)

834
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many own-branded plastic bags (a) the Assets Recovery Agency and (b) the Serious Organised Crime Agency has procured in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176704)

835
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the level of fraud arising from information on identity stolen from household waste bins.

(176705)

836
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average Band D council tax was for each police authority in England and Wales in 2007-08.

(176706)

837
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what statistics her Department collates on alcohol-related crime in (a) England and (b) each local authority area.

(176707)

838
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to (a) extend and (b) terminate central funding of the 101 non-emergency numbers in local areas.

(176708)

839
Mr Greg Pope (Hyndburn): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will consider revoking the passports in certain circumstances of convicted paedophiles on the Sex Offenders Register who wish to leave the country.

(176895)

840
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the trends in the number of (a) racial and (b) rape crimes reported in the Metropolitan Police Service results for October 2007 in the London Borough of Havering.

(176790)

841
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Metropolitan Police Service is taking to reduce the number of (a) residential and (b) non-residential burglaries in Romford.

(176791)

842
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of the levels of violent crime in London in the year ending in October 2008.

(176792)

843
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many community police support staff have been in post in Romford since 2003; and if she will make a statement.

(176793)

844
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have been in post in the London Borough of Havering since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(176794)

845
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure improvement in levels of victim satisfaction with the service provided by the Metropolitan Police.

(176795)

846
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many homicides there were in (a) Romford, (b) the London Borough of Havering and (c) London since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(176796)

847
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officer recruits in England and Wales began residential training in each year since 1999.

(176038)

848
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of employing police officers was as a percentage of the total budget for each police force in England for each year since 1990.

(176041)

849
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the current National Bureaucracy Advisor on Police Reform is; and whether the position is vacant.

(176054)

850
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) police stations and (ii) police forces had livescan units, in each year since 1997.

(176055)

851
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who the winners of the Reducing Bureaucracy Awards Scheme were in each month since its inception.

(176056)

852
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many civilian staff have been employed in England and Wales, broken down by police force area in each year since 1997; and how many of these civilians have been employed in a post formerly occupied by a uniformed officer.

(176057)

853
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on policing in rural areas.

(176058)

854
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on the maximum distance persons in police custody should be transported between the place of arrest and a custody suite.

(176059)

855
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will rank police forces in order of expenditure per thousand population in each police force area.

(176060)

856
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Head of the Police and Crime Standards Directorate will be eligible for a bonus for 2007; and what the criteria are for the award of such bonuses.

(176061)

857
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) total and (b) average overtime payments were for police officers in each police force area in England and Wales for each year since 1997.

(176062)

858
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she has taken to support volunteers who work for the police, with special reference to staffing police stations.

(176063)

859
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many burglar alarm activations were responded to by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last five years; and how many turned out to be false alarms.

(176064)

860
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which police forces use mobile police stations; if she will take steps to require such forces to provide more (a) officers on the beat and (b) high speed police cars; and if she will make a statement.

(176066)

861
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of national police recruitment campaigning was in each of the last five years in each police force area, broken down by main budget heading; and what resources were allocated to such campaigning for each year.

(176067)

862
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers who will retire in each of the next five years.

(176070)

863
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of calls were met within the target time adopted by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last three years, broken down by borough.

(176071)

864
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special constables applied (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully to become full-time police officers in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

(176072)

865
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of crimes committed by non-UK nationals which have resulted in a Court recommendation for deportation in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

(176073)

866
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers have received injuries from firearms while on duty (a) in England and Wales and (b) broken down by police force area in each year since 1997.

(176074)

867
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on the development and provision of electronic custody systems for the police; when such systems are planned to be available; what the expected cost of such systems is expected to be; what the cost of their development to date has been; and what the original planned date for such systems to be available was.

(176075)

868
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) regulations and (b) guidance documents were issued to police forces by her Department in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

(176102)

869
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make provision for closed-circuit television images to be copied for use by the police in criminal investigations.

(176103)

870
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will list the codes of practice issued under the (a) Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and (b) Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 on the disclosure of information to defendants; what changes have been made to each since their original publication date; which have been subject to (i) a review and (ii) a public consultation by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

(176104)

871
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been recovered under the Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act 2003 (a) in total and (b) in each police authority area, listed in descending order by amount recovered in each year since its introduction; and how much is in the process of being recovered.

(176105)

872
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many registered (a) sex offenders and (b) paedophiles were resident in each police authority area in each of the last five years.

(176106)

873
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what additional money has been made available to the police in the last 12 months for tackling alcohol-related crime in addition to alcohol misuse enforcement campaigns.

(176107)

874
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much additional funding has been made available to each police force specifically to tackle binge drinking and alcohol misuse in each year since the Licensing Act 2003 came into force.

(176108)

875
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been tested for illegal drug use who have been arrested on suspicion of other non-drug related crimes; and how many of those tested positive for illegal drug use in (a) England and Wales and (b) broken down by police force area in each year since 1997.

(176109)

876
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions for (i) being drunk and disorderly, (ii) being found drunk on a highway, public place or on licensed premises and (iii) being drunk in or when entering a designated sports event there have been in each police force area in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

(176110)

877
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the National Police Database have (a) a criminal record, (b) been the subject of wrongful arrest and (c) been given a custodial sentence.

(176111)

878
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the discussions between the Criminal Records Bureau and the Association of Chief Police Officers on seeking access to (a) European Union Member States' and (b) other foreign countries' criminal conviction data to reach conclusions; and if she will make a statement.

(176112)

879
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many knives have been recovered in knife amnesty initiatives in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each of the last five years.

(176113)

880
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) charges, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions, (d) cautions and (e) fines there have been for breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area since its enactment.

(176114)

881
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions have been made and (b) fixed penalty notices have been issued by (i) police and (ii) local authorities for (A) fly tipping, (B) graffiti, (C) dog fouling, (D) the dropping of litter and (E) parking offences in each year since 1997.

(176115)

882
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the crime detection rates were in each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1997.

(176116)

883
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases of actual bodily harm police cautions were used in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such cases were first offences.

(176117)

884
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations into organised crime organisations have been undertaken by (a) the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and (b) other police organisations in each of the last five years.

(176118)

885
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many persistent and prolific offenders have been identified in each police force area in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

(176119)

886
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will establish a central register for firearms (a) seized and (b) disposed of by police services in England and Wales.

(176296)

887
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) successful prosecutions, (b) cautions and (c) fixed penalty notices there have been in relation to uninsured drivers (i) in total and (ii) in each police force area in each of the last 10 years; and what the average penalty was in each category.

(176297)

888
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions since 2nd May 1997 her Department has issued a correction to police numbers statistics.

(176298)

889
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Departmental officials have been working on reducing police bureaucracy in each of the last 10 years.

(176299)

890
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on the development of police investigation and detainee handling centres.

(176300)

891
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the (a) reliability and (b) effectiveness of headcam technology in tackling crime; if she will make resources available to make this technology more widely available to the police; and if she will make a statement.

(176301)

892
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Gershon efficiency savings to be achieved by the police were; and if she will make a statement on progress towards achieving efficiency savings by the police.

(176302)

893
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the time it takes for a police officer to complete the stop and account form after detaining an individual.

(176303)

894
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what nightly rate is paid by the Immigration Service for the use of police cells to each police force.

(176306)

895
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many operations firearms were issued to police officers in England and Wales in each year since 1997; in how many of these operation shots were fired by police officers; and how many police officers were qualified to carry firearms in each of the last nine years.

(176307)

896
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) shotguns, (b) rifles and (c) handguns were stolen in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force area in each year since 1997; and how many have been subsequently recovered and returned to the owner.

(176308)

897
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police authorities have been provided with private finance initiative (PFI) credits for new buildings and major refurbishments; what the capital value of each such project is; how many new buildings are proposed within each project; and at what stage they are in the PFI procurement process.

(176309)

898
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which private finance initiative projects are (a) underway and (b) under consideration in each police force area in England and Wales.

(176310)

899
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent by the police in (a) England and Wales and (b) each police force area in each of the last five years on (i) stationery and (ii) IT equipment.

(176311)

900
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 there have been for (a) noise, (b) graffiti and fly-posting and (c) waste and litter in (i) each local authority and (ii) each police authority area, broken down by basic command unit, in each region of England and Wales in each year since the introduction of the powers.

(176312)

901
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what percentage of police officers left the police service (a) within two to five years, (b) within five to 10 years and (c) after over 10 years of joining, in each year since 1997, broken down by police force area.

(176315)

902
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) police community support officers and (b) police officers there were in (i) England and Wales and (ii) each police force area in each of the last three years.

(176316)

903
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children in contravention of their curfew notices have been removed to their place of residence by (a) police community support officers and (b) police officers under paragraph 4B of Schedule 4 of the Police Reform Act 2002 in each of the last fours years, broken down by police authority area.

(176317)

904
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of (a) police community support officers and (b) regular police officers fall into each ethnic category in each police force area.

(176318)

905
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police community support officers (a) were recruited and (b) retired due to (i) age and (ii) sickness in each police force area in each year since 2002.

(176319)

906
Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations closed in (a) Suffolk and (b) the East of England in each year since 1997.

(175720)

907
N Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will add policing of trafficking of human beings as core police business included in performance indicators.

(176126)

908
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were murdered in England in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

(176850)

909
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many London-based staff are employed by her Department on the national minimum wage.

(175972)

910
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, columns 83-4W, on genetics: databases, how many of the 22,700 people who voluntarily provided a DNA sample were later (a) arrested and (b) charged with an offence before the decision was made to retain their sample on the national database.

(175632)

911
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who was consulted before the decision was made not to implement the Police Arbitration Panel's pay settlement fully.

(176821)

912
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the reasons were for consulting an arbitration panel on police pay.

(176822)

913
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions took place with HM Treasury before the decision was taken not to fully implement the Police Arbitration Panel's pay settlement recommendation.

(176823)

914
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she consulted (a) the Police Federation and (b) other representatives from police forces in England and Wales before deciding not to fully implement the arbitration panel's recommendation on police pay.

(176824)

915
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what meetings she has had with representatives from the South Asian community on the proposed changes to visitor visas.

(176828)

916
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what she expects the cost will be to administer the proposed cash bond for families to pay when receiving a visitor from outside the EU.

(176829)

917
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects the proposed cash bond scheme for non-EU visitors to Britain to come into force.

(176830)

918
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what she expects the change in the number of visitors from non-EU countries will be after the implementation of the proposed cash bond scheme.

(176831)

919
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what funding her Department provides to the Boyhood to Manhood Foundation.

(176832)

920
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to provide support for the Boyhood to Manhood Foundation in order to prevent its closure.

(176833)

921
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department gives to voluntary organisations that help reduce crime in communities.

(176834)

922
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether personal data for which her Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(176019)

923
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what obligations her Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176464)

924
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what audits her Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176478)

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

925
N Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many times the occupants of Portcullis House were directed to leave the building due to fire in 2007; on how many such occasions a fire had occurred; what the seat of the fire was in each case where fire occurred; and what steps were taken on each occasion to (a) identify the person or persons responsible and (b) minimise the likelihood of reoccurrence.

(175740)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills

926
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176760)

927
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the (a) course fee per annum paid by and (b) unit of public funding paid for the teaching of a full-time undergraduate student studying for an equal or lower qualification was in 2007-08.

(175785)

928
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees, what forecasts he has made of fees to be charged to non-exempt full-time undergraduate ELQ students.

(175786)

929
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, further to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, which professional higher level qualifications will no longer receive funding.

(175787)

930
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whether he consulted (a) the Confederation of British Industry and (b) professional bodies before making his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England on 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees.

(175788)

931
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many applicants accepted for places in higher education were no longer enrolled onto higher education courses as first time students in each of the following years by the February of the academic year (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007.

(175789)

932
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many applicants accepted onto higher education courses did not commence those courses as first time students in (a) 2004-05, (b) 2005-06 and (c) 2006-07.

(175790)

933
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, what assessment he has made of the effect of his decision upon (a) women returners, (b) older men, (c) disabled students and (d) black and minority ethnic students.

(175798)

934
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQ) as additional degrees, whether ELQ students of medicine and veterinary science will be (a) publicly funded and (b) exempt from the withdrawal of funding; and if he will make a statement.

(175799)

935
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how he plans to fund the 50,000 higher education student places for 2008-2011 announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review; and how many of these students will be first-time entrants.

(175800)

936
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many first time students (a) aged 21 to 24 and (b) aged 25 and over are expected to commence higher education courses at English institutions in 2008-09, broken down by mode and course of study.

(175801)

937
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what estimate he has made of the number of students for equivalent and lower qualifications as an additional degree who will no longer receive funding in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11.

(175802)

938
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, what funding will be available for re-skilling students for higher level qualifications.

(175803)

939
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, what estimate he has made of the potential costs transferred to (a) business and the private sector, (b) the public sector and (c) the not-for-profit sector.

(175804)

940
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, what assessment he has made of the effect of his decision to withdraw funding on the viability of courses for first-time entrants to higher education.

(175805)

941
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees, how many part-time ELQ students he estimates will be affected in institutions other than the Open University.

(175806)

942
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees, whether his proposals extend to ELQ students on courses leading to qualifications in (a) child and adolescent studies and (b) biometric science.

(175807)

943
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees, what savings he expects to make by ceasing public funding for ELQ students of (a) pharmacy, (b) psychology and (c) educational psychology.

(175808)

944
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications as additional degrees, whether from 2008-09 a student with a higher national diploma studying for an accountancy qualification would qualify for funding.

(175809)

945
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what consultation he undertook in advance of his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs) as additional degrees on the effect of his request on the (a) administration and (b) regulation of the ELQ sector.

(175810)

946
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, prior to his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September on funding for equivalent and lower qualifications (ELQs), what research he commissioned on the effect of his request on access to higher education.

(175811)

947
Mr John Hayes (South Holland & The Deepings): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what forecast he has made of the number of students enrolling for an equivalent and lower qualification (ELQ) as an additional degree between 2011 and 2015 who will no longer receive funding as a result of his request to the Higher Education Funding Council for England of 7th September; and how much funding he no longer plans to allocate to ELQ students in each of these years.

(175812)

948
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many Train to Gain places have been made available in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire.

(176868)

949
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of 18 to 24 year olds in Cleethorpes constituency were in full-time education in each year since 1997.

(176869)

950
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many DIUS-branded plastic bags his Department has procured, and at what cost, since it was created.

(176503)

951
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what payments have the (a) Learning and Skills Council and (b) Learning Skills network made to the New Local Government Network in the last 24 months.

(176675)

952
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council provided to the Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods project.

(176676)

953
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of young people who left school at the age of 18 years in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland entered (i) higher education and (ii) further education in 2007.

(175613)

954
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175964)

955
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176018)

956
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176465)

957
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176477)

958
N Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whether funding for equivalent learning qualifications will be provided to those seeking second degrees or higher education qualifications; and if he will make a statement.

(175716)

959
Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, for what reasons the annual percentage interest rate on student loans increased from 2.4 per cent. to 4.8 per cent. on 1st September 2007.

(175643)

960
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many reviews were conducted by his Department and its predecessor into the workings of the Student Loans Company in the last three years; and if he will place the results in the Library.

(175710)

961
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, for what reasons the figure of 250,000 existing apprenticeships, as referred to in the press release of 16th November 2007, Ambitious Plans to Help Boost Nation's Job Prospects, is different from the figures for apprenticeships provided for (a) 16 to 18 year olds and (b) adult learners in Table three and Table seven of the Learning and Skills Council's Statement of Priorities issued in November 2007.

(175713)

962
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what cost-benefit analysis has been made of the decision to reduce funding to equivalent or lower qualification students.

(175714)

963
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, if he will add pharmacy courses to the list of courses exempt from the forthcoming changes to equivalent or lower qualifications students.

(175744)

964
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many reports have been made to the Government by higher education providers about extremism on campus in the last 12 months.

(175745)

965
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many Access to Learning Loans were paid because of delays in the student loans system in each year since 2001.

(175746)

966
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many student loans were paid manually by the Student Loans Company in each year since 1997.

(175747)

967
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many complaints the Student Loans Company received in each year since it was established.

(175748)

968
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many apprenticeships were offered by (a) central government, (b) local government and (c) other public bodies in each year since 1997.

(175749)

969
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many sign language courses are funded by the Learning and Skills Council; and what the average annual cost is of providing a sign language course place.

(175750)

Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development

970
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176922)

971
James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what percentage of his Department's budget was spent on budget support for developing countries through (a) bilateral, (b) multilateral, (c) trust fund and (d) other arrangements in each of the last five years.

(176900)

972
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what his policy is on (a) acceptable and (b) unacceptable conditionality for lending in relation to World Bank lending policy; and if he will make a statement.

(175723)

973
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 10th December 2007, Official Report, column 469, on Bangladesh: overseas aid, what the estimated end of year financial position is for each country where his Department is active according to the latest expenditure forecast; and if he will make a statement.

(175724)

974
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what response he has made to the World Bank's review of Conditionality in Development Policy published on 15th November 2007; and if he will make a statement.

(175726)

975
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when his Department will respond to Lord Crisp's Report of February 2007; and if he will make a statement.

(176651)

976
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much his Department has allocated in 2007-08 and 2008-09 for grant schemes for (a) schools links, (b) higher education links, (c) general community twinning and (d) health links.

(176800)

977
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what evaluation the Government has commissioned of the potential contribution of health links to the development of best practice.

(176801)

978
Mike Gapes (Ilford South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, in what UK aid projects Mott MacDonald have participated in the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(175727)

979
Mike Gapes (Ilford South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations he has received on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.

(175728)

980
Mike Gapes (Ilford South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what projects his Department has supported in Lesotho in the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

(175729)

981
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if he will make it his policy to earmark at least 10 per cent. of his Department's HIV and AIDS funding for children affected by HIV in the new HIV and AIDS Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

(176887)

982
Dr Doug Naysmith (Bristol North West): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps he is taking to support national governments to encourage the provision of co-trimoxazole to all HIV-exposed children (a) as a prophylaxis and (b) for the treatment of opportunistic infections; and if he will make a statement.

(176042)

983
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176349)

984
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support food aid programmes in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176633)

985
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to provide safe, clean drinking water in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176634)

986
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support skills training in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176635)

987
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support AIDS and HIV education and prevention programmes in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176636)

988
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support health improvement programmes in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176637)

989
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support education programmes in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176638)

990
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has allocated to support the development of agriculture in developing African countries in the last five years.

(176639)

991
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175965)

992
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176017)

993
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176466)

994
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what audits his Department has carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176474)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice

995
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many briefings have been presented to Ministers on the Tasker inquiry; what the date of each briefing was; how many pages were contained in each written briefing; and if he will make a statement.

(175625)

996
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many investigations by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman have been assisted by the lead investigator for the Tasker inquiry; and if he will make a statement.

(175626)

997
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inquiries into deaths in custody by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman have been (a) led and (b) assisted by the lead investigator for the Tasker inquiry since the inquiry was established; and if he will make a statement.

(175627)

998
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many investigations carried out by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman since 2001 have been conducted by staff who used to work for HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

(175628)

999
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether those conducting investigations for the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman may also conduct investigations on behalf of HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

(175629)

1000
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many managed moves were authorised by Michael Spurr, Deputy Director General of HM Prison Service, in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; what proportion of these involved (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) white and (iv) ethnic minority personnel; and if he will make a statement.

(175630)

1001
Mr Henry Bellingham (North West Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) casual staff employed by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman have previously been employed by HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

(175631)

1002
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many young offenders have been given a custodial sentence in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years.

(174980)

1003
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to combat the circulation and possession of illegal drugs in Chelmsford Prison; and if he will make a statement.

(174981)

1004
N Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) adults and (b) young offenders there are in Chelmsford Prison.

(174982)

1005
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176917)

1006
Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the value is of the IT contract for a new online reporting system for legal aid claims by solicitors.

(175636)

1007
Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which company was awarded the contract to supply a new online reporting system for legal aid claims by solicitors.

(175637)

1008
Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the online reporting system for legal aid claims by solicitors is operational.

(175638)

1009
Mr Philip Dunne (Ludlow): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when the online computer system for reporting legal aid claims by solicitors was originally planned to come into operation.

(175639)

1010
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of successful claims from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme have been awarded to (a) private and (b) public sector workers in each of the last 10 years.

(176120)

1011
Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the estimated cost is of creating the Titan prison model, including resources to (a) develop, (b) design, (c) plan and (d) procure the prison.

(176098)

1012
Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the estimated annual total running cost is of a 2,500-bed Titan prison.

(176099)

1013
Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many existing prison places he plans to withdraw in each year until 2014.

(176100)

1014
N Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the estimated total running costs are of the additional prison places due to be delivered by 2014.

(176101)

1015
N Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Statement of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 827, on prisons: Carter Review, how much of the £1.2 billion for prisons announced in his Statement is available for his Department to spend (a) immediately and (b) after March 2011.

(176265)

1016
N Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to his Statement of 5th December 2007, Official Report, on the Carter review of prisons, how much of the £1.2 billion for prisons will be available in each financial year up to 2014 for (a) capital construction and (b) resource spending.

(176664)

1017
N Nick Herbert (Arundel & South Downs): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the £1.2 billion for prisons announced in his statement of 5th December 2007, Official Report, column 828, on the Carter review of prisons, has been allocated for (a) building new prisons and (b) increasing capacity in existing prisons.

(176665)

1018
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 5th December 2007, Official Report, columns 1259-60W, for what offences the 11 prisoners transferred to prisons in England and Wales from prisons in Northern Ireland since 2000 were serving sentences; and what the grounds for transfer were.

(175770)

1019
David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many disposals were reported by youth offending teams in 2006-07, broken down by (a) pre-court, (b) first tier, (c) community and (d) custodial disposals.

(175995)

1020
David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many first time entrants to the youth justice system there were in 2006-07.

(175996)

1021
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will increase the prison rules targets of one hour minimum exercise per week for adult prisoners and two hours minimum for young offenders.

(176002)

1022
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will reinstate purposeful activity as a key performance indicator in the Prison Service.

(176003)

1023
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce a key performance indicator target for prison establishments to provide a full working day for prisoners.

(176004)

1024
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will eliminate fast and convenience foods from the diets of those in custody in (a) prisons and (b) young offenders' institutions; and if he will provide supplements aimed at improving behaviour, concentration and health into such diets.

(176077)

1025
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children aged (a) 10, (b) 11, (c) 12 and (d) 13 were brought before the juvenile courts in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006 and (A) were convicted, (B) were not convicted, (C) received an absolute discharge and (D) received a conditional discharge.

(175998)

1026
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects to publish the review of electoral systems; and if he will make a statement.

(176697)

1027
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what payments have been made by (a) his Department and its predecessor and (b) the Legal Services Commission to the Community Legal Partnership in each of the last four years.

(176330)

1028
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether (a) HM Revenue and Customs, (b) the Valuation Office Agency and (c) the Valuation and Lands Agency are business users of the Land Registry Direct service.

(176331)

1029
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for the full implementation of provisions on requiring signatures in polling stations.

(176332)

1030
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what records the Land Registry keeps of the number and location of zero carbon homes.

(176373)

1031
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to increase funding allocated to legal advice for travellers on planning issues.

(176502)

1032
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment has been made of the consequences for retail competition policy of voting pilots in supermarkets.

(176516)

1033
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for consultation on and implementation of Schedule 12 of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 in relation to the role of enforcement agents to secure payment of council tax.

(176517)

1034
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for what reasons the Land Registry is introducing new triggers to require compulsory land registration.

(176518)

1035
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to ensure that 100 per cent. of identifiers of postal votes are checked in election counts for the 2008 local and London elections.

(176519)

1036
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will use his powers to designate regional chambers as public authorities for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

(176520)

1037
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what pilots have taken place in relation to the use of personal identifiers for absent voting.

(176521)

1038
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Land Registry is taking to prevent the online register from being (a) abused and (b) accessed illegally.

(176522)

1039
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the terms of reference are of the review into the way that personal information is shared between and protected by the public and private sector.

(176523)

1040
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if the Government will introduce the Northern Ireland system of individual electoral registration in Great Britain to tackle postal vote fraud.

(176524)

1041
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to consult on weekend voting in elections.

(176666)

1042
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to extend the use of (a) e-counting and (b) remote electronic voting to future (i) local, (ii) European Parliament and (iii) general elections.

(176667)

1043
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to undertake further electoral innovation pilot schemes in the 2008 (a) local and (b) Greater London Authority elections.

(176668)

1044
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many performance indicators the Youth Justice Body has instructed local authorities to monitor as part of their local area agreements.

(176669)

1045
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timetable is for (a) interim reviews of parliamentary boundaries in particular parts of England and Wales and (b) the ratification of parliamentary boundaries for Northern Ireland constituencies.

(176670)

1046
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department, or the former Department for Constitutional Affairs, provided on the maximum amount of time a public authority can take to assess the public interest when responding to a validly constituted Freedom of Information request.

(176671)

1047
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building within his Department.

(176672)

1048
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many plastic bags his Department has procured, and at what cost, since it was created.

(176673)

1049
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of the recent meeting between his Department's officials and the Association of Electoral Administrators at which holding a general election in the autumn was discussed.

(176763)

1050
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2007, Official Report, column 676W, on environment protection: fixed penalties, what the aggregate revenue was from the fines in each year since 1999-2000.

(176843)

1051
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 29th November 2007, Official Report, column 676W, on environment protection: fixed penalties, which legislation the fines in 2005-06 were issued under.

(176844)

1052
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) under 18-year-olds and (b) over 18-year-olds were convicted of illegally carrying (i) knives and (ii) other weapons in each year since 1997, broken down by police authority area; and if he will make a statement.

(176295)

1053
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases the current residential address of a (a) former convicted prisoner and (b) foreign national former prisoner subject to supervision following release is not known.

(176304)

1054
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times (a) anti-social behaviour orders, (b) acceptable behaviour contracts, (c) warnings, (d) individual support plans, (e) action plan orders, (f) child safety orders, (g) referral orders, (h) parenting orders, (i) parenting contracts, (j) local child curfew schemes, (k) dispersal powers, (l) fixed penalty notices for disorderly behaviour, (m) detention and training orders, (n) seizure of vehicles used anti-socially, (o) closure of licensed premises, (p) confiscation of alcohol from young people and (q) designated public places orders have been used in each (i) local authority and (ii) police authority area, broken down by basic command unit, in each region of England and Wales in each year since the introduction of the powers.

(176314)

1055
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175966)

1056
Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the performance of trade unions on payment of individual affiliation fees for those members of the union that are also members of the Labour Party.

(175994)

1057
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176016)

1058
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176467)

1059
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176473)

Questions to the Leader of the House

1060
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Leader of the House, how much her Office spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176924)

1061
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Leader of the House, if she will make it her policy to allow written parliamentary questions to be tabled directly to each of the Ministers for the Regions in their capacity as a regional minister.

(176256)

1062
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Leader of the House, what audits her Office has carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176490)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

1063
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176759)

1064
N Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, which police stations in Northern Ireland he expects to have closed by the end of 2009.

(175641)

1065
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what monitoring takes place of mail (a) sent to and (b) received by inmates in Northern Ireland prisons.

(175793)

1066
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what monitoring is undertaken of telephone calls made by inmates of Northern Ireland prisons.

(175796)

1067
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 6th December 2007, Official Report, columns 1473-74W, on prisoners: foreigners, what provision has been made for interpreting services for foreign prisoners by the Prison Service in each of the last 12 months; and what the cost was of such services.

(175824)

1068
Lady Hermon (North Down): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 6th December 2007, Official Report, column 1474W, on prisons: education, what the earliest anticipated date is that infrastructure could be in place to process those sentenced to imprisonment for public protection sentences in Northern Ireland.

(175825)

1069
Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with the Home Department on the Common Travel Area; and if he will make a statement.

(176091)

1070
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent discussions he has had with police authorities in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland on fuel smuggling; and if he will make a statement.

(176849)

1071
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175967)

1072
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176015)

1073
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176468)

1074
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what audits his Department and its agencies have carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176489)

Questions to the Minister for the Olympics

1075
Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, pursuant to the Answer of 27th November 2007, Official Report, column 294W, on Olympic Games 2012, if she will place in the Library copies of the financial updates for the last three months.

(176154)

1076
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what the timetable is for a decision on whether the Lee Valley Regional Parking Authority will take over as the legacy vehicle for the Olympics.

(176501)

1077
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, whether personal data for which her Office is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(176008)

Questions to the Prime Minister

1078
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Prime Minister, how much his Office spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176914)

1079
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Prime Minister, whether he has had meetings in the last 30 days with (a) the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and (b) the Boundary Committee to discuss local government restructuring in (i) Ipswich and (ii) across the rest of England.

(176500)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland

1080
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176911)

1081
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175968)

1082
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176014)

1083
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what obligations his Department places on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176469)

1084
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what audits his Department carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176488)

Questions to the Solicitor General

1085
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Solicitor General, how much the Law Officers' departments spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176761)

1086
Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Solicitor General, if she will meet relatives of British citizens Brian Peters and Malcolm Rennie to discuss the finding of the Coroner of New South Wales in November 2007 on the deaths of Brian Peters, Malcolm Rennie and four others in Timor-Leste in October 1975; and if she will make a statement.

(176655)

1087
Mike Gapes (Ilford South): To ask the Solicitor General, what assessment she has made of the performance of the Serious Fraud Office in conducting investigations into UK companies operating overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(175730)

1088
Mike Gapes (Ilford South): To ask the Solicitor General, what representations she has received from the government of Lesotho on the work of the Serious Fraud Office; and if she will make a statement.

(175731)

1089
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Solicitor General, how many plea and case management hearings were prosecuted in each month between April and October 2007 inclusive; and what percentage of these were undertaken by in-house Crown Prosecution Service advocates.

(176068)

1090
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Solicitor General, what percentage of plea and case management hearings in each month between April and October 2007 inclusive led to not guilty pleas being entered; and what percentage of such pleas were entrusted to the self-employed Bar for the conduct of the trial.

(176069)

1091
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to her Answer of 12th December 2007, Official Report, column 572W, on the Director of Public Prosecutions, what the cost was of the employment of search consultants.

(176151)

1092
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Solicitor General, whether personal data for which the Law Officers' departments are responsible are (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(176013)

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

1093
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, what research the Electoral Commission has commissioned from NOP on electoral registration; and at what cost.

(176492)

1094
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many performance indicators the Electoral Commission is setting for local authorities.

(176493)

1095
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, whether the review by the Boundary Committee for England into restructuring of local government in Norfolk is a review under the (a) Local Government Act 1992 and (b) Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007.

(176494)

1096
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many branded plastic bags the Electoral Commission has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176495)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport

1097
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176909)

1098
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward the amendments to the Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) Regulations 2001, identified by her Department in 2003, which would make identical the position for rental and leasing companies on the rights to transfer liability where the hiring agreement is longer than six months in duration; what estimate she has made of the resources required to implement the amendments; and if she will make a statement.

(176267)

1099
N Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will take steps to ensure that the London Low Emission Zone enforcement procedure is not brought in before the rectifying amendments to the Road User Charging (Charges and Penalty Charges) (London) Regulations 2001 are made to allow rental and leasing vehicle companies to transfer liability to the hirer.

(176268)

1100
N Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations she has received on faulty bonnet catches on Renault Clios; and what discussions (a) she and (b) her officials have had with the manufacturers on a possible product recall.

(175956)

1101
N Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Adding Capacity at Heathrow Airport public consultation has taken account of the Putting noise on the map airport noise maps information published on 18th December 2007 by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs relating to Heathrow airport; and if she will make a statement.

(176961)

1102
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, by how many (a) Class 442 and (b) Class 444 units South West Trains has reduced its main line express rolling stock fleet since the renewal of the franchise; and what percentage of the fleet the reduction represents.

(176779)

1103
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will make it her policy to require South West Trains to put Class 442 back in service in the interests of passenger comfort.

(176780)

1104
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment she has made of the reliability of Reading's Class 458 train coach units; and if she will make a statement.

(176781)

1105
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Answer of 11th December 2007, Official Report, column 430W, on railways: standards, how many hits there have been on the website; and if she will place a copy of the study in the Library.

(176886)

1106
Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the planned cost is of the road and road bridge due to replace the underpass connecting Down's Road and Hog Lane on the A2 trunk road in Gravesham.

(176776)

1107
Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the lane restrictions on the M3 at its junction with the M25 came into force; what works were undertaken requiring the restrictions; when those works were completed; for what purpose cameras were installed west of the junction; and when she expects to lift the lane restrictions.

(175609)

1108
Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the EU Lisbon Treaty, once implemented, will have an effect on the EU's Galileo programme.

(175587)

1109
Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the treaty basis is for the EU's Galileo programme; and if she will make a statement.

(175588)

1110
N Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to reduce congestion caused by heavy goods vehicles on roads.

(175635)

1111
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the merits of roadside pedestrian training schemes for children.

(175813)

1112
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will extend roadside pedestrian training schemes for children on a national basis.

(175814)

1113
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to ensure that local authority best practice in road traffic speed management is shared.

(175815)

1114
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research she has commissioned on the effect on road traffic casualties of the introduction of 20mph zones in (a) Portsmouth, (b) Hull, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Aberdeen and (e) London.

(175816)

1115
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to publish the consultation paper on driver training and testing.

(175817)

1116
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will (a) monitor and (b) assess the effect on road safety of 20mph zones.

(175818)

1117
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will draw up a road safety strategy for 2010 and beyond.

(175821)

1118
Mr John Leech (Manchester, Withington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of UK road safety measures against EU member state benchmarks; and if she will make a statement.

(175822)

1119
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the Minister of State to reply to the letter of 21st November requesting a meeting with representatives from Worthing Borough Council to discuss the effect of the concessionary fares scheme in Worthing.

(176804)

1120
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much government funding was provided for road safety schemes in (a) North East Lincolnshire and (b) North Lincolnshire in each year since 2001-02.

(176864)

1121
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Mayor of London and her Department on the Crossrail project.

(176340)

1122
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what liability (a) taxpayers from general taxation and (b) the London taxpayer, via the Greater London Authority, have for any cost-overruns from the Crossrail project.

(176341)

1123
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she authorised the Article 14 directions under the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995, issued by the Highways Agency in relation to the Durham Green Business Park in (a) 2006 and (b) 2005.

(176351)

1124
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding will be raised from the new Statutory Planning Charge for Crossrail; for how long the charge will be collected; on what developments it will be levied; and which local authorities it will affect.

(176367)

1125
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what meetings (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in her Department have had with representatives of Durham Green Developments Limited in the last 36 months.

(176368)

1126
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations her Department has received from Durham Green Developments Limited, in relation to planning and transport, in the last 36 months.

(176369)

1127
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many branded plastic bags her Department has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176370)

1128
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recycling schemes are in operation in each building operated by her Department.

(176371)

1129
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which public authorities will be responsible for bearing the cost of any overruns from the Crossrail project.

(176372)

1130
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new tachograph regulations will apply to local authorities' refuse collection vehicles.

(176394)

1131
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much funding her Department has provided to the Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods Project.

(176395)

1132
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent on (a) road building and (b) road maintenance in Copeland in each year since 1997.

(176641)

1133
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Blue Badge disabled drivers permits have been issued in Copeland over the last five years.

(176642)

1134
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many road accidents resulting in a fatality in Copeland involved (a) drivers under 25 years of age and (b) drivers within 12 months of passing their driving test in the last five years.

(176643)

1135
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the percentage of road accidents within the Copeland area which were caused by drivers using hand-held mobile telephones in the last five years.

(176644)

1136
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many passengers used the Cumbrian coastal rail service between Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle in each year since 1997.

(176645)

1137
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was made available to support rural public transport in Cumbria in each year since 1997.

(176730)

1138
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was made available to support road improvement schemes in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each year since 1997.

(176731)

1139
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the likely levels of road usage on the A595 between Greenodd and Whitehaven by (a) private vehicles and (b) freight traffic in each of the next three years.

(176732)

1140
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been of running Metronet since it went into administration.

(176782)

1141
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consultation will be undertaken with (a) local residents and (b) those with business premises between junctions 26 to 30 of the M25 motorway.

(176783)

1142
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the M25 near Romford will be widened.

(176784)

1143
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which companies made up Metronet in the period before it went into administration.

(176785)

1144
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the average speed is of London bound traffic on the M25 during the morning and evening peak hours between junctions 26 and 30.

(176786)

1145
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the M25 will be widened throughout its length.

(176787)

1146
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans there are to improve the M25 near the junction 27 (Romford) turn off.

(176788)

1147
Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the projected traffic numbers are on the M25 approaches to the Dartford Crossing from Essex.

(176789)

1148
Mr John Spellar (Warley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the cost has been to date of the consultancy contracts for road pricing policy; and how much is committed for future costs.

(176896)

1149
Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will extend the national concessionary fare scheme to community transport services.

(176942)

1150
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many London-based staff are employed by her Department on the national minimum wage.

(175973)

1151
N Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Government has spent on (a) construction, (b) planning applications and (c) other costs relating to the Thameslink project since 1998.

(175518)

1152
N Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the statement of 17th December 2007, on data loss, what personal data for which her Department is responsible are (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(175768)

1153
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Statement of 17th December 2007, Official Report, column 624, on Department for Transport data storage and use, if she will place in the Library a copy of the terms of the contract between the Driving Standards Agency and Pearson Driving Assessments which relate to compliance with UK data protection rules.

(176272)

1154
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her statement of 17th December 2007, Official Report, column 624, on Department for Transport data storage, whether the data on the hard disc drive mislaid by Pearson Driving Assessments had been processed.

(176273)

1155
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to her Statement of 17th December 2007, Official Report, column 624, on Department for Transport data storage, what internal rules are used by Pearson Driving Assessments to ensure compliance with UK data protection law.

(176274)

1156
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what audits her Department and its agencies carried out of their data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176648)

1157
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what requirements her Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to audit of data and IT equipment.

(176649)

1158
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what date Ministers in her Department were notified that a computer hard drive containing details of three million learner drivers had been mislaid by Pearson Driving Assessments.

(176650)

1159
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many instances have been recorded in her Department of former employees accessing important and sensitive data after terminating their employment with the Department.

(176933)

1160
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what processes are in place to ensure that staff of her Department and its agencies have only the security access to data required to do their job.

(176934)

1161
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which organisations which have been asked to protect sensitive data on behalf of her Department and its agencies met the SAS 70 or equivalent standard prior to receiving the information.

(176935)

1162
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who in her Department is responsible for ensuring that all issues which are categorised by data security audits as requiring attention are managed quickly and effectively.

(176936)

1163
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department and its agencies retain a list of issues arising out of each data security audit.

(176937)

1164
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what minimum demonstrable security standards are required by her Department of an outside organisation before it is allowed to handle personal information.

(176938)

1165
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what minimum demonstrable security standards are required by her Department and its agencies of a company before it is permitted to carry out an audit of data security processes.

(176939)

1166
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which companies her Department and its agencies have engaged to conduct audits of data security processes.

(176940)

1167
N Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what mechanisms the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency uses to check the bona fides of private parking control companies before releasing personal data relating to vehicle owners and operators to them; what steps the Agency takes to assess the uses to which such data is put by such companies; and if she will make a statement.

(175771)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales

1168
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176912)

1169
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175970)

1170
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176011)

1171
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176471)

1172
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what audits his Department carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176486)

Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality

1173
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, whether personal data for which the Government Equality Office is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

(176009)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

1174
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department's publication, Ready for Work, what forecast he has made of the likely number of lone parents claiming income support in each quarter to 2011, broken down by (a) region, (b) ethnicity and (c) family size; and what assessment he has made of the effect on these numbers on changes in his Department's spending on (i) benefits and (ii) benefit administration.

(176943)

1175
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many lone parents claimed income support in each region of the UK, broken down by (a) ethnicity and (b) family size in each quarter since 1997.

(176944)

1176
Danny Alexander (Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Department's publication Ready for work, what forecast he has made of (a) the likely number of work focused interviews which will be attended by lone parents in each quarter until 2011, broken down by (i) region, (ii) ethnicity and (iii) family size, (b) the annual cost of providing such work focused interviews, (c) the number of additional staff needed to provide such work focused interviews and (d) the cost of such additional staff in each quarter until 2011.

(176945)

1177
Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in 2007.

(176910)

1178
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the take-up rate was for claimants in Islington North constituency of the newly returned to work benefit in the last 12 months.

(176882)

1179
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the written Ministerial Statement of 17th December 2007, Official Report, columns 100-2WS, on Financial Assistance Scheme, whether the level of compensation in the amended Financial Assistance Scheme will be identical to that offered by the Pension Protection Fund.

(175719)

1180
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to extend the time the proposed better off in work credit will be available beyond 26 weeks; and if he will make a statement.

(175769)

1181
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for how long a person under 25 years old must (a) have not been in education, employment or training and (b) have been claiming jobseeker's allowance to qualify for accelerated entry to the new Gateway.

(176854)

1182
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to amend the requirement that participants in the proposed flexible New Deal complete four weeks of full-time activity; and if he will make a statement.

(176855)

1183
N Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2007, Official Report, columns 803-4W, on Jobcentre Plus: rural areas, what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing flexible support arrangements for jobseekers.

(176954)

1184
N Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2007, Official Report, columns 803-4W, on Jobcentre Plus: rural areas, what assessment of need takes place in planning provision for flexible support arrangements by Jobcentre Plus.

(176955)

1185
N Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13th December 2007, Official Report, columns 803-4W, on Jobcentre Plus: rural areas, what flexible support arrangements are put in place by Jobcentre Plus, broken down by area.

(176956)

1186
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of (a) the number of unrecovered child maintenance payments in each constituency in the UK, (b) the value of those payments and (c) the value of payments expected to be unrecovered.

(175647)

1187
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many overseas recipients of the graduated pension have their pensions frozen.

(176736)

1188
Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to pay the higher rate mobility component of disability living allowance to people with severe sight loss; and if he will make a statement.

(176778)

1189
Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people employed in his Department work on administering EU structural funds; and what the cost of such staff was in 2006-07.

(176043)

1190
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the Financial Assistance Scheme's running costs were in each year in which figures are available.

(175721)

1191
Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Financial Assistance Scheme for pensions has paid out to individuals in each year for which figures are available.

(175722)

1192
Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many farm accidents there were in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

(176848)

1193
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many eligible pensioners in Cleethorpes constituency received winter fuel allowance in each year since its introduction.

(176867)

1194
Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent representations he has received on the rights of people with mental illnesses to claim the higher level of mobility benefit under the disability living allowance.

(176006)

1195
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data exchanges of sensitive personal data have taken place between his Department and local authorities in the last 12 months; and what datasets were collected.

(176242)

1196
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many branded plastic bags his Department has purchased in the last 24 months for which figures are available; and at what cost.

(176243)

1197
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recycling scheme is in operation in each building operated by his Department.

(176244)

1198
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the basic state pension was for (a) couples and (b) single households, excluding other benefits and special payments in each year since 1997-98, in cash terms.

(176245)

1199
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has given to local authorities on (a) outdoor Christmas lights, (b) outdoor lighting in general and (c) working at heights.

(176246)

1200
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the each of the guidance notes produced on procurement and race, disability and gender public sector equality duties published respectively by the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission.

(176257)

1201
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance the Health and Safety Executive has given to local authorities on municipal (a) bonfires and (b) firework displays.

(176258)

1202
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what research the Health and Safety Laboratory has conducted into outdoor lighting.

(176259)

1203
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much the Government transfered each year to the Scottish Executive for the payment of council tax benefit in Scotland in each of the last five years.

(176677)

1204
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many weeks sanctions were applied to those recipients of jobseeker's allowance who did not apply for a job opportunity on first offence, broken down by Jobcentreplus or Careers Service in each local authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(176851)

1205
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of jobseeker's allowance who have failed to apply for a job opportunity were sanctioned on the first offence, broken down by individual Jobcentreplus or Careers Service in each local authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(176852)

1206
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of jobseeker's allowance were found not to have applied for a job opportunity, broken down by individual Jobcentreplus or Careers Service in each local authority area in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(176853)

1207
Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many London-based staff are employed by his Department on the national minimum wage.

(175971)

1208
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether personal data for which his Department is responsible is (a) stored and (b) processed overseas; and if he will make a statement.

(176010)

1209
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what obligations his Department and its agencies place on contractors in relation to the audit of personal data and IT equipment.

(176472)

1210
Mrs Theresa Villiers (Chipping Barnet): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what audits his Department and its agencies carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years.

(176485)

1211
N Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many divorced women over state pension age were receiving (a) a basic state pension at the full rate, (b) a partial basic state pension and (c) no basic state pension in the latest period for which figures are available.

(175577)

1212
N Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when his Department plans to publish the final report on the Financial Assistance Scheme: Review of Assets; and if he will make a statement.

(175519)

1213
N Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects to reply to Question 171550, tabled on 29th November 2007 by the hon. Member for Cardiff Central for answer on 4th December; and if he will make a statement.

(175558)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform

1214
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether impact assessments are required for legislation or regulation that imposes costs on public authorities, but not the private sector.

[Transferred] (176334)

1215
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the expenditure of South East England House was in the last year for which figures are available.

[Transferred] (176525)

Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer

1216
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what account would be taken of a local income tax in Scotland when determining funding to be paid by the UK Government to Scotland for council tax benefit.

[Transferred] (176496)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families

1217
Mr Nick Hurd (Ruislip-Northwood): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps the Government has taken to improve the quality of prison education since 2001.

[Transferred] (176005)

Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

1218
Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how voluntary organisations that help communities are informed of what funding is available to them.

[Transferred] (176835)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

1219
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what records her Department keeps of the number and location of zero carbon homes.

[Transferred] (176171)

1220
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will publish her Department's review of business rate reliefs and exemptions.

[Transferred] (176254)

1221
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans her Government has to review Green Belt protection.

[Transferred] (176498)

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

1222
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the additional revenue to be raised from new bin taxes on family homes.

[Transferred] (176589)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Health

1223
N Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he last reviewed scientific advice on the removal of specified risk material from sheep over 12 months old or with permanent incisors erupted; and what plans he has to change his policy on this matter.

[Transferred] (175955)

1224
N Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that members of teams competing in the 2012 Olympics (a) do not bring proscribed drugs or medicines into the UK prior to competition, (b) do not dispose of unused drugs or medicines on the UK market during competition and (c) remove all unused imported drugs and medicines from the UK on departure; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (175559)

Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department

1225
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which hon. Members have applied under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 to demonstrate on College Green; and when each applied.

[Transferred] (176875)

1226
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether news media organisations have applied to demonstrate on College Green.

[Transferred] (176876)

1227
Jeremy Corbyn (Islington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who applied for an application to demonstrate in Parliament Square in August 2007.

[Transferred] (176877)

1228
David T. C. Davies (Monmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether asylum seekers who are given leave to remain in the UK because their files have been lost are entitled to backdate benefits claims.

[Transferred] (175997)

1229
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the terms of reference are of the review into the right to gain entry; and whether the review will consider the right to gain entry by public authorities other than the police.

[Transferred] (176499)

1230
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration she has given to the merits of issuing one identity number to each citizen shared across the public sector.

[Transferred] (176507)

1231
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what maximum levy may be imposed on a licensed premises in an alcohol disorder zone; and whether the revenue is ring-fenced.

[Transferred] (176710)

1232
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the number of alcohol disorder zones that will be implemented by local authorities in the first full year of operation of the legislation.

[Transferred] (176717)

1233
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in each (a) police authority area and (b) criminal justice system area; how many of these have been breached; how many people received a custodial sentence for such a breach; and how many people have been taken to court for a breach.

[Transferred] (176313)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice

1234
Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fixed penalty notices for disorder were issued by Humberside police in each year since their introduction, broken down by category.

[Transferred] (176861)

1235
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to bring forward proposals for automatic voter registration to tackle under-representation by minority groups; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (176396)

1236
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which Minister has responsibility for public sector information.

[Transferred] (176497)

1237
Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many road accidents in Copeland resulted in prosecutions for driving under the influence of alcohol in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (176640)

1238
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of days from arrest to sentence in cases involving persistent young offenders was at the most recent date for which figures are available for each police force area.

[Transferred] (176039)

1239
Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost is of the daily food allowance for prisoners in (a) prison cells and (b) police station cells; and when they were last changed.

[Transferred] (176305)

Questions to the Leader of the House

1240
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Leader of the House, whether hon. Members will be eligible to use their additional cost allowance to pay for the costs of local authority charges for the collection of household rubbish.

[Transferred] (176350)

Questions to the Prime Minister

1241
N Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Prime Minister, how many complaints there have been of breaches of section 4.8 of the Ministerial Code of Practice, on ministerial support for National Lottery bids, in the last 12 months.

[Transferred] (175993)

1242
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Prime Minister, what the value is of the payments that have been made to Chequers from the public purse in each year since 1997-98.

[Transferred] (176346)

1243
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Prime Minister, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Chequers Trust Deed.

[Transferred] (176347)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

1244
N Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has issued to the Health and Safety Executive on annual testing of carbon monoxide alarms.

[Transferred] (175657)

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Revised 7 January 2008