|
Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 7 July 2008
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 7 July 2008
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 7 July 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 July of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 7 July see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 1
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the scale of regional price differentials in domestic gas and electricity prices; and if he will make a statement. | | (216943) | 2
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent discussions he has had with telecommunication providers on the delivery of broadband services to remote parts of the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (216983) | 3
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent steps his Department has taken to provide upgrades to internet services to the Scottish Islands; and if he will make a statement. | | (217158) | 4
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many export licences were granted by his Department for the export of cryptography equipment including cryptography software to Zimbabwe in 2007; to which company each was granted; what the value of goods permitted to be exported under each such licence was; and who the end-user was in each case. | | (217000) | 5
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many transport plans for the movement of nuclear materials have been approved by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security. | | (216816) | 6
| Mark Durkan (Foyle): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what method was used to compile the list of approved suppliers of electoral management services to the trades union sector in the Trade Union Ballots and Elections (Independent Scrutineer Qualifications) Order 1993 (Amendment) Order 2002; how regularly the list is reviewed; and what plans he has to review the Order. | | (216977) | 7
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when he plans to reply to the letters of 4th March and 15th May from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean, on BT payment charges. | | (216764) | 8
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will hold discussions with Ministerial colleagues on the production of contingency plans for each Department to cover (a) the eventuality of global oil production peaking and (b) continued high oil prices. | | (216969) | 9
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential use as business cost relief of tax revenues obtained from increased oil prices. | | (217014) | 10
| Mark Lazarowicz (Edinburgh North and Leith): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many electricity consumers with dynamically teleswitched meters there were in Scotland (a) in 2005 and (b) on the most recent date for which figures are available; and how many consumers who now have such meters are no longer supplied by their previous electricity supplier. | | (216827) | 11
N | Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, for what reasons the furniture industry was not included on the list of industries eligible to receive EU structural funds in the UK. | | (216592) | 12
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much his Department has allocated to fund the microgeneration element of (a) the green homes project and (b) the Act on CO2 advice line for 2008-09. | | (217243) | 13
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to the Answer of 3rd July 2008, Official Report, column 1014, on Sellafield, what factors he will take into account when assessing the recommendation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on who should be the new parent body organisation for the Sellafield Site Licence Company. | | (217111) | 14
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since the Department was established. | | (217062) | 15
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what funding he has allocated for provision of information to domestic consumers on purchasing their energy supply in 2008-09. | | (217077) | 16
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many working parents were (a) eligible to request, (b) asked for and (c) were refused flexible work in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (216892) | 17
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many employers (a) were eligible to be asked to provide flexible working, (b) were asked by an employee for flexible working arrangements and (c) refused an employee's request to work flexibly in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (216893) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 18
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will adjust the tax free mileage allowance for taxis and minicabs in line with changes in fuel prices. | | (216885) | 19
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many claims for (a) working tax credits and (b) child tax credits were made by citizens of other EU member states resident in Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency in the last financial year; and if he will make a statement. | | (216882) | 20
N | Mr Mark Francois (Rayleigh): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire of 4th June 2008, Official Report, column 929W, on VAT: housing, what progress has been made on plans for lowering the rate of VAT on energy efficient light bulbs at the EU level. | | (216423) | 21
N | Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what Government (a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure in the Thames Gateway area there was in each year since 1st April 2003, broken down by local government administrative area; and if he will make a statement. | | (216831) | 22
| Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to examine the feasibility of offering the public access to credit union services through post offices. | | (217166) | 23
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he expects the Office of Government Commerce review on procurement to be published. | | [R] (216900) | 24
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of staff in his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. | | (217058) | 25
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217075) | 26
N | Mr Terry Rooney (Bradford North): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to combat poverty amongst low income workers without dependent children. | | (216466) | 27
N | Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he plans to answer Question 203260, tabled on 28th April 2008, on the Council of Ministers; and what the reasons are for the time taken to answer. | | (216944) | 28
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of families with a child claiming disability living allowance are claiming (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit; and if he will make a statement. | | (216966) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 29
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps he is taking with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills to promote the Government's strategy for international education. | | (217245) | 30
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what information his Department collates on the (a) charging policies for extended school services and (b) the proportion of parents paying for (i) out of school services and (ii) holiday schemes through child care tax credit. | | (216879) | 31
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what funding allocations his Department will make for children's play to each London local authority in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. | | (216922) | 32
| Mr Martin Caton (Gower): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment his Department has made of the risks to children's health and safety posed by fallen leaves from monkey puzzle trees in or close to schools. | | (216886) | 33
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many teacher vacancies there were in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Bexley and (ii) London in the last period for which figures are available. | | (216883) | 34
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he last met the Secretary of State for Justice to discuss co-ordination of policy between their two Departments. | | (217051) | 35
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he last met the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills to discuss co-ordination of policy between the two Departments. | | (217052) | 36
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his Department's responsibilities are in relation to apprenticeships; and which Minister has those responsibilities. | | (217053) | 37
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will place in the Library a copy of the written agreement between his Department and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills on the policy of handling and funding of apprenticeships. | | (217054) | 38
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will place in the Library a copy of the joint working document on 14-19 policies commissioned by his Department with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills. | | (217055) | 39
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will place in the Library a copy of the protocol for joint working on the Youth Board, developed by his Department and the Ministry of Justice. | | (217056) | 40
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils did not obtain a C grade or above at GCSE, excluding equivalents, in 2007. | | (217175) | 41
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils obtained one GCSE in each year since 1997. | | (217176) | 42
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, in how many schools in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation fewer than 50 per cent. of pupils gained five A* to C GCSEs in 2007. | | (217177) | 43
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain five GCSEs at any grade in each year since 2004. | | (217178) | 44
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain level 4 in a combination of writing, reading and mathematics tests at key stage 2 in 2007. | | (217179) | 45
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain level 5 in a combination of writing, reading and mathematics tests at key stage 3 in 2007. | | (217180) | 46
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain level 4 in key stage 2 English in 2007. | | (217181) | 47
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils received fixed period exclusions in schools with pupils with (a) more and (b) fewer than 1,500 pupils in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (217182) | 48
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation received fixed period exclusions in the last 12 months. | | (217183) | 49
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils who were entered for A2 examinations did not gain an A level above a C grade in 2007. | | (217184) | 50
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of year 13 students were entered for A-level examinations in each year since 1997. | | (217185) | 51
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools for pupils aged 11 to 18 years old do not offer an A-level physics course. | | (217186) | 52
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools for 11 to 18 years olds do not offer an A-level course in a modern language. | | (217187) | 53
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many non-statemented special educational needs pupils are studying in pupil referral units. | | (217188) | 54
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils studied in pupil referral units in each year since 1997. | | (217189) | 55
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not achieve level 5 or higher in key stage 3 English tests in each of the last 10 years. | | (217190) | 56
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation sat A-level examinations in 2007. | | (217191) | 57
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not gain a GCSE, excluding equivalents, in 2007. | | (217192) | 58
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in each local authority did not gain five A* to C GCSEs including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language in 2007. | | (217193) | 59
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not gain five A* to C GCSEs including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language in 2007. | | (217194) | 60
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation have a statement of special educational needs. | | (217195) | 61
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many non-statemented pupils with special educational needs there are in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation. | | (217196) | 62
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of maintained mainstream schools do not offer a physics GCSE course. | | (217197) | 63
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many maintained schools offer a Chinese GCSE course. | | (217198) | 64
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils' results were exempted from appearing in school league tables in each of the last 10 years. | | (217199) | 65
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of 15 year old pupils in a pupil referral unit sat a GCSE examination in 2007. | | (217200) | 66
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals were given (a) a permanent exclusion and (b) a fixed period exclusion in each of the last 10 years. | | (217201) | 67
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in year 11 were not entered for any GCSE examinations excluding equivalents in each of the last 10 years. | | (217202) | 68
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 6 pupils were not entered for key stage two tests in 2007. | | (217203) | 69
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 9 pupils were not entered for key stage 3 tests in 2007. | | (217204) | 70
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils who sat (a) key stage 2 and (b) key stage 3 tests had results which were exempted from classification in 2007. | | (217205) | 71
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of year 6 pupils obtained Level 4C in key stage 2 tests in each of the last 10 years. | | (217206) | 72
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 11 pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation were not entered for English or mathematics GCSE examinations in 2007. | | (217207) | 73
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation were not entered for three separate sciences at GCSE in 2007. | | (217208) | 74
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 11 pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation were not entered for a modern languages GCSE examination in 2007. | | (217209) | 75
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 11 pupils who did not gain five A* to C GCSEs did not enter further education or training in 2007. | | (217210) | 76
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of year 11 pupils with special educational needs did not enter further post-16 education in 2007. | | (217211) | 77
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 13 pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain three A-levels above a C grade in 2007. | | (217212) | 78
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many year 11 pupils in areas in each decile of multiple deprivation did not obtain a (a) mathematics, (b) English and (c) science GCSE at C grade or above in 2007. | | (217213) | 79
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils from schools in each decile of proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals received a fixed period exclusion in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (217214) | 80
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in areas of each decile of multiple deprivation received a permanent exclusion in the last 12 months. | | (217215) | 81
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in schools of each decile of proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals were given a permanent exclusion in the last 12 months. | | (217216) | 82
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils did not sit five GCSE examinations, including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents, in each of the last 10 years. | | (217217) | 83
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recent representations he has received from local education authorities on the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on the provision of school bus services; and if he will make a statement. | | (217240) | 84
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the change in the number of employees of his Department has been since it was established. | | (217076) | 85
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the contribution made by overseas gap year students to the education sector in the United Kingdom. | | (216759) | 86
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, who is conducting the review of the UK's reservation against Article 37(c) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; and when the review will be published. | | (216821) | 87
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what reservations the UK has entered to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols; and which of those reservations are under review by the Government. | | (216822) | 88
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what funding his Department has provided to defray the university tuition fees of newly-qualified teachers in each of the last five years; what the planned funding for each of the next five years is; and if he will make a statement. | | (217268) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 89
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many men were given chemotherapy treatment for prostate cancer in (a) Lancashire and (b) England in each of the last three years. | | (216754) | 90
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many men died from prostate cancer in (a) Lancashire and (b) England in each of the last three years. | | (216756) | 91
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in (a) Lancashire and (b) England in each of the last three years. | | (216757) | 92
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many people were diagnosed with cancer in (a) Bexley and (b) London in each of the last five years. | | (216881) | 93
| Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 25th June 2008, Official Report, columns 25-6WS, on data handling procedures, how many Government (a) departments and (b) agencies store data outside the UK; and how many individuals' data are stored in this way. | | (217221) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 94
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will rank (a) the bottom 100 super output areas as measured by the index of multiple deprivation, showing the local authority in each case and (b) the bottom 100 local authority wards as measures by the index. | | (216924) | 95
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of housing stock units were (a) owner-occupied, (b) privately rented and (c) socially rented in (i) England, (ii) each English region and (iii) each London local authority in (A) 1980, (B) 1990, (C) 2000 and (D) 2007. | | (217103) | 96
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will rank each English local authority by the percentage change in the number of properties in the social rented sector in its area since 1980. | | (217104) | 97
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what information her Department collects on the implementation of the housing health and safety ratings system; and if she will make a statement. | | (217105) | 98
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many consultation exercises her Department has initiated seeking the views of property managers since its consultation on statements of accounts and designated client accounts. | | (216974) | 99
| Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 1st July 2008, Official Report, column 715, on eco-towns, whether the required planning consents for eco-town developments will be determined exclusively by local planning authorities. | | (217001) | 100
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessments her Department has made of the performance of the digital television initiatives in Kirklees, Hull and Glasgow referred to in the minutes of the Emerging Technologies Group meeting on 27th February. | | (217165) | 101
N | Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on what dates meetings have taken place between Ministers and officials from her Department and representatives of the Co-operative Wholesale Society since 1st May 2005 on the development of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's land within Harborough District; where each meeting took place; and who attended each. | | (216536) | 102
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many properties are entitled to a second home council tax discount; and what proportion of these are charged at (a) 50 per cent., (b) 90 per cent. and (c) another proportion of the full charge. | | (217251) | 103
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of domestic residences pay only a single person occupancy council tax charge. | | (217252) | 104
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of properties which are eligible for a second home council tax discount are registered for single occupancy only. | | (217253) | 105
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her most recent assessment is of the effect of current conditions in the housing market on the likelihood of her Department meeting its 2020 house-building targets. | | (217257) | 106
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what definition her Department uses of intermediate market in respect of housing. | | (217258) | 107
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether her Department's targets for new housing include targets for the provision of intermediate market housing. | | (217259) | 108
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which council tax billing authorities have exercised the power to charge (a) 90 per cent. and (b) between 50 per cent. and 90 per cent. of the council tax charge on second homes. | | (217265) | 109
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to disseminate information on the (a) duties of and (b) opportunities for local authorities under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007. | | (217275) | 110
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what rules apply to the apportionment of business rates for (a) out-of-town retail premises and (b) car parks which serve the customers of such premises. | | (217276) | 111
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been used to reimburse local council tax billing authorities under provisions for a council tax discount for second homes in each year in which figures are available since financial year 2000-01. | | (217282) | 112
N | Mr Paul Goodman (Wycombe): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will publish the research on bridging activities that bring people from different backgrounds together, referred to in her letter of 6th October 2007 to the Chairman of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion. | | (217002) | 113
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department issues to local authorities on enforcement of prohibitions on motorcycles being ridden in parks. | | (216824) | 114
N | Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18th February 2008, Official Report, column 39W, on Housing: Thames Gateway, if she will provide a breakdown by local government administrative area of the location of the 26,400 new dwellings completed in the period January 2003 to March 2007 within the Thames Gateway area; and if she will make a statement. | | (216810) | 115
N | Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what projects have been identified for funding under the auspices of the Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan; at what indicative cost; over what period of time; and if she will make a statement. | | (216811) | 116
N | Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new dwellings were built on brownfield land in the Thames Gateway area in 2007; and if she will make a statement. | | (216812) | 117
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made on the establishment of an eco-quarter in the Thames Gateway area in 2008-09; and if she make a statement. | | (216958) | 118
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much funding under the Safer and Stronger Communities Fund has been drawn down in the Thames Gateway area in each year since 1st April 2005, broken down by local authority area; and if she make a statement. | | (216959) | 119
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what functions relating to the Thames Gateway undertaken by the Thames Gateway Executive she plans to transfer to the Homes and Communities Agency prior to March 2009; what the timescale for such transfers is; and if she make a statement. | | (216960) | 120
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what progress has been made towards the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan's objectives for the capital development programme of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation in respect of (a) the Innogy site acquisition, (b) the Carpet Right site in Rainham, (c) the upgrade of Prescot Lock, (d) the Barking town buy-backs and (e) the Wildspace Conservation Park visitor centre. | | (216978) | 121
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of open green space in the Thames Gateway area is managed to Green Flag award standards; and if she make a statement. | | (216979) | 122
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new dwellings have been constructed in (a) Lower Lea and Stratford, (b) The Royals, (c) Greenwich Peninsula, (d) Woolwich, (e) Barking Riverside and Town Centre, (f) Thurrock, (g) Basildon, (h) Ebbsfleet Valley, (i) Kent Thames Waterfront and (j) Medway Waterfront and Chattenden since 1st April 2005; and if she make a statement. | | (216980) | 123
| Mrs Jacqui Lait (Beckenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the provision of (a) roads, (b) railways, (c) water and (d) sewage infrastructure serving eco-towns will be (i) governed by the general frameworks set in National Policy Statements and (ii) determined by the Infrastructure Planning Commission. | | (216985) | 124
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many school crossing patrol officers there were in each year since 1990, broken down by local authority area; and if she will make a statement. | | (217220) | 125
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has allocated to fund the Thames Gateway element of (a) the green homes project and (b) the Act on CO2 advice line for 2008-09. | | (217242) | 126
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the effect of the proposed eco-town development at North East Elsenham on the surrounding economies in East Hertfordshire, with particular reference to the economy of Bishop's Stortford. | | (216945) | 127
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the likely locations for employment of residents of the proposed eco-town development at North East Elsenham if the development proceeds. | | (216946) | 128
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the change in the number of employees in her Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217069) | 129
| Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the home-building industry adopts lifetime homes standards in new housing. | | (217116) | 130
| Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Homes and Communities Agency promotes the application of lifetime homes standards in new build homes. | | (217117) | 131
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the criteria to be used in the allocation of social housing to former prisoners who are on the Sex Offenders Register. | | (216976) | 132
N | Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consideration was given to the inclusion of references to faith centres during the drafting process for the recent consultation paper on eco-towns. | | (216614) | 133
N | David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations she has received on the merits of the proximity principle in planning and building new housing developments; and if she will make a statement. | | (216887) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 134
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 1st July 2008, Official Report, column 884W, on swimming: London, with which London boroughs his Department's proposals for free swimming were discussed before the policy was announced. | | (217030) | 135
| Mr Douglas Carswell (Harwich): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the BBC Trust on (a) the application of the public value tests to the BBC's proposals for (i) local video news services and (ii) education sites and (b) the preparation of market input assessments of such proposals. | | (216986) | 136
| Mr Douglas Carswell (Harwich): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from regional newspapers on the local video news services which the BBC proposes to develop. | | (216987) | 137
| Mr Douglas Carswell (Harwich): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effect on the market for advertising on UK-based news websites of the sale of advertising on bbc.com. | | (216988) | 138
| Rosie Cooper (West Lancashire): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had on the implementation of requirements for subtitling of digital and satellite television services. | | (216828) | 139
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many projects have received funding from Sport England's Community Projects Revenue Fund since 1999; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who participated in those projects. | | (217167) | 140
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many awards Sport England made to projects encouraging (a) school, (b) after-school and (c) community club links in each year since 1999. | | (217168) | 141
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what courses have been organised as part of the Cultural Leadership programme in each of the last three years; and what the cost of each has been. | | (216531) | 142
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the estimated cost of staging the Cultural Leadership programme (a) Vision 2020 event at the Royal Opera House on 26th June 2008 and (b) Alumni gathering event at the Emirates Stadium on 11th September 2008 is; and how much has been spent by the Cultural Leadership programme on conferences and events in each of the last three years. | | (216532) | 143
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff have been disciplined by (a) his Department, (b) Arts Council England, (c) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, (d) English Heritage, (e) the Big Lottery Fund, (f) Sport England, (g) UK Sport and (h) the Heritage Lottery Fund for (i) bullying and (ii) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. | | (216533) | 144
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Scotland and (e) Northern Ireland (i) was covered by a minimum acceptable digital radio signal in (A) 2006 and (B) 2007 and (ii) will be so covered in 2008. | | (216534) | 145
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of (a) the DAB+ system, (b) the DMB system and (c) the DVB-H system of digital radio transmission. | | (216535) | 146
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217070) | 147
N | Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent by publicly-funded bodies for which his Department is responsible on the promotion of Welsh culture overseas, in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by country. | | (216916) | 148
N | Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent by publicly-funded bodies for which his Department is responsible on celebrations of (a) St David's Day, (b) St Patrick's Day, (c) St George's Day and (d) St Andrew's Day in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (216917) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 149
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of British military engagement in (a) Afghanistan and (b) Iraq was in (i) 2005-06, (ii) 2006-07 and (iii) 2007-08. | | (216826) | 150
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many babies were born to (a) service personnel and (b) military families based (i) overseas and (ii) in the UK in each of the last three years for which figures are available. | | (217003) | 151
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when the United States withdrew from RAF Lakenheath the last of its nuclear weapons stored there. | | (216815) | 152
N | David T. C. Davies (Monmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many UK personnel were deployed on operations on the most recent date for which figures are available, broken down by location. | | (216615) | 153
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what defence expenditure (a) including and (b) excluding the cost of operations was in the latest 12 month period for which figures are available in (i) cash terms and (ii) as an estimated percentage of gross domestic product. | | (217005) | 154
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many and what percentage of the (a) single living and (b) service family accommodation provided by his Department in (i) the UK and (ii) overseas meets the decent home standard. | | (217006) | 155
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to his Department of operations in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan was in each year since 2001. | | (217007) | 156
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of (a) armoured vehicles, (b) other vehicles, (c) fixed wing aircraft, (d) rotary wing aircraft, (e) weapons systems and (f) unmanned aerial vehicles of each type were (i) in service, (ii) fit for purpose and (iii) out of service at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (217008) | 157
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13th May 2008, Official Report, column 1519W, on armed forces training, how many of his Department's Fighting in Built-Up Areas training facilities were designed to replicate Afghan compounds. | | (217031) | 158
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13th May 2008, Official Report, column 1519W, on armed forces training, what proportion of Operational Training undertaken by all members of the Army prior to deployment to Afghanistan takes place on Fighting in Built-Up Areas facilities. | | (217032) | 159
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13th May 2008, Official Report, column 1519W, on armed forces training, whether further Fighting in Built-Up Areas training facilities other than those listed are (a) under construction and (b) planned. | | (217033) | 160
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13th May 2008, Official Report, column 1519W, on armed forces training, in what year each of the Fighting in Built-Up Areas training facilities was constructed. | | (217034) | 161
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on urgent operational requirements in near cash terms in each financial year since 2001-02. | | (217254) | 162
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) private security companies, (b) nations and (c) intergovernmental organisations are involved with training Afghan national police; and how many British citizens participate in each training initiative, broken down by (i) military and (ii) civilian personnel. | | (217255) | 163
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on updating the (a) Defence News and (b) Defence News Blog section of the Ministry of Defence Website during off-duty hours and at weekends. | | (217256) | 164
| Dr Liam Fox (Woodspring): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Force Answerable to EU (FAWEU) European military forces there are; what the title is of each; and how many British troops participate in each. | | (217266) | 165
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) Agusta 109A, (b) Agusta 109AM, (c) Apache Ah Mk1, (d) Gazelle AH1, (e) Lynx Mk7, (f) Lynx Mk9, (g) Lynx Mk3, (h) Lynx Mk8, (i) Merlin Mk1, (j) Sea King Mk4, (k) Sea King Mk5, (l) Sea King Mk6 (CR) , (m) Sea King Mk7, (n) Chinook Mk2, (o) Chinook Mk2a, (p) Merlin Mk3, (q) Puma HC1, (r) Sea King Mk3 and (s) Sea King Mk3a there are in the helicopter fleet. | | (216972) | 166
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Chinook Mk3 helicopters his Department plans to order in the next three years; and when such helicopters are expected to enter service. | | (216973) | 167
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the additional expenditure from the Defence Budget required for military operations and equipment in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each year from 2001-02 to 2008-09 which was additional to original allocations under those headings; how much has been allocated from the Contingency Reserve to fund such expenditure in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. | | (216902) | 168
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost of meeting urgent operational requirements in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan was in each year from 2001-02 to 2007-08; what provision he has made for meeting such requirements in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10, (iii) 2010-11, (iv) 2011-12 and (v) 2012-13; and if he will make a statement. | | (216903) | 169
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on the armed forces; and if he will make a statement. | | (217238) | 170
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps are being taken to increase the number of suitably qualified submarine warfare officers and ratings in naval service. | | (217247) | 171
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of staff in his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. | | (217059) | 172
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the change has been in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies since July 2006. | | (217073) | 173
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary's reply to the Adjournment debate in Westminster Hall, of 11th June 2008, Official Report, columns 91-6WH, on Lance Corporal Compton (Compensation), if he will make a statement on (a) the compensation and (b) the pension payable to Lance Corporal Compton. | | (216762) | 174
N | Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will order the construction of the new aircraft carriers to be nuclear powered. | | (216989) | 175
N | Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost was to the Royal Navy of marine diesel per tonne plus lighterage on 30th May (a) 2008, (b) 2007 and (c) 2006. | | (216990) | 176
N | Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the design of the new aircraft carriers incorporates podded propulsion. | | (216991) | 177
| Jon Trickett (Hemsworth): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the merits of awarding a veteran's badge to those who worked in munitions factories in the UK during the world wars; and if he will make a statement. | | (217157) | 178
N | Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many employees in his Department deal with complaints from members of the public concerning noise from low-flying military aircraft. | | (216595) | 179
N | Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many complaints have been received from residents of Angus constituency concerning low-flying military aircraft in each of the last 12 months. | | (216596) | 180
N | Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, during which hours military jets are authorised to undertake low-flying exercises over Angus constituency. | | (216597) | 181
N | Mr Mike Weir (Angus): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions military jets have taken part in low-flying exercises over Angus constituency in the last year. | | (216598) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 182
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12th May 2008, Official Report, column 1324W, on bees, what steps his Department is taking to investigate bee colony losses; and how and by whom the bee colony losses are being investigated. | | (217004) | 183
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) National Bee Unit and (b) Bee Inspectorate in (i) maintaining bee populations, (ii) managing incidents of bee diseases and (iii) preventing future outbreaks of bee diseases; and if he make a statement. | | (217015) | 184
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of threat posed to bee populations in the UK by disease; and if he will make a statement. | | (217016) | 185
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what factors his Department takes into account in determining its funding allocations to bee health research. | | (217018) | 186
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will consider increasing his Department's spending on bee health research. | | (217020) | 187
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received from the Breaking the Climate Deadlock group on climate change. | | (217097) | 188
N | Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, on what dates meetings have taken place between Ministers and officials from his Department and representatives of the Co-operative Wholesale Society since 1st May 2005 on the development of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's land within Harborough District; where each meeting took place; and who attended each. | | (216591) | 189
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effects of the Hunting Act 2004 on (a) rural employment, (b) the rural economy and (c) the numbers of (i) fox hounds and (ii) horses. | | (217261) | 190
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of changes in the price of agricultural land on the (a) profitability and (b) productivity of English agriculture. | | (217272) | 191
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assistance his Department is giving the commercial sea fishing industry to improve the fuel efficiency of its vessels. | | (217273) | 192
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many coastal cetacean strandings there have been in each (a) year since 2004 and (b) month in 2008; and how many of these are estimated to be the result of fishing activity in each such period. | | (217281) | 193
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1st July 2008, Official Report, column 733W, on food supply, under what circumstances the Government would seek to access food stocks identified by his Department's database. | | (217222) | 194
| Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to paragraph 3.50 of the National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom, Cm 7291, whether the Government (a) plans to increase the UK's grain production and (b) has contingency plans in place for a significant interruption to international shipping. | | (217223) | 195
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason he has asked the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to respond to the Question 216797 tabled to him by the hon. Member for Vale of York, on 3rd July 2008, on development in flood risk areas, pursuant to the Answer of 1st July 2008, Official Report, column 776W, on flood control: planning; and if he will make a statement. | | (217246) | 196
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217071) | 197
N | Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to reduce bovine tuberculosis in cattle; and if he will make a statement. | | (216836) | 198
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will take steps to buy back unused UK fishing quota at the end of 2008 and make it available to the under-10 metre fishing fleet. | | (216415) | 199
N | Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much subsidy was paid from the public purse to the Aquabella Group in respect of the fish farm at Gordleton in the New Forest in each of the last five years. | | (216915) | 200
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5th June 2008, Official Report, column 1070W, on bees: research, what research he has commissioned to address the regulatory concerns identified in project HH0819SHB. | | (216880) | 201
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who has powers to close shellfish waters to fishing on grounds of pollution or toxicity levels. | | (217047) | 202
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department takes to prevent shellfish from (a) British and (b) other waters being marketed when affected by radioactivity or other pollution. | | (217048) | 203
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research on cetacean bycatch is being undertaken (a) by and (b) on behalf of his Department. | | (217049) | 204
| Bill Wiggin (Leominster): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assess the merits of (a) pingers and (b) other technical measures intended to reduce cetacean bycatch. | | (217050) | 205
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 1st July 2008, Official Report, column 768W, on cattle: imports, if he will break down the number of cattle imported in each year by country of origin. | | (217155) | 206
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, of those cattle slaughtered as reactors and inconclusives under the bovine tuberculosis eradication scheme, how many (a) were found to be free of tuberculosis through (i) visual inspections of lesions and (ii) culturing of tissue samples after death and (b) entered the human food chain in each of the last three years. | | (217160) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 207
| Lorely Burt (Solihull): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Oral Statement of 25th October 2007, Official Report, column 510, on the Office of Foreign Assets Control List, when the Government will approve the set of principles that will guide the Government's intervention in extraterritoriality cases referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his Department. | | (216884) | 208
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to investigate reports of assaults against British-born Bangladeshis in Bangladesh. | | (216932) | 209
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many investigations his Department has carried out into alleged assaults against British-born Bangladeshis in Bangladesh in each of the last five years. | | (216933) | 210
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of assaults against British-born Bangladeshis in Bangladesh in each of the last five years. | | (216934) | 211
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the case of Rizwan Hussain. | | (216935) | 212
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has issued to British-born Bangladeshis intending to travel to Bangladesh. | | (216936) | 213
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many applications have been received from Iraqi nationals for UK assistance under the (a) Gateway and (b) Locally Employed Staff Assistance Scheme; from which countries these applications have been received; and if he will make a statement. | | (217009) | 214
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of staff in his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. | | (217060) | 215
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217063) | 216
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Iran about the arrest of six Baha'is on 14th May 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (216593) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 217
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost to the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust has been in each of the last five years of patients missing (a) first appointments and (b) follow-up appointments. | | (213976) | 218
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to improve information about treatment services to help men with metastatic hormone refractory prostate cancer. | | (216753) | 219
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish the findings of the Advisory Committee for Resource Allocation review of the geographical apportionment of health funding. | | (217260) | 220
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to monitor the policy of primary care trusts in respect of support for the clinical prescribing of anti-TNF remedies for those diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis. | | [R] (217274) | 221
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce early death rates for stroke victims. | | (216832) | 222
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of levels of health inequalities in urban communities between (a) white, (b) mixed race, (c) Asian and (d) Afro-Caribbean ethnic groups; and what steps he plans to take to reduce such inequalities. | | (216833) | 223
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) elective, (b) non-elective and (c) emergency births have occurred outside a maternity unit in each of the last five years. | | (216834) | 224
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many maternity units were closed in NHS hospitals in each (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust area in each of the last five years. | | (216835) | 225
| Patrick Hall (Bedford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to introduce a national framework for the management of chronic pain in England. | | (217061) | 226
| Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to extend the capacity of the NHS Cord Blood Bank; and if he will make a statement. | | (216940) | 227
| Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to change the arrangements for supply of cord blood units to the NHS; and if he will make a statement. | | (216941) | 228
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what restrictions there are on the provision of the drugs (a) pedaciel, (b) repevax, (c) infanrix-IPV and (d) menitorix to GP surgeries; whether any vaccination clinics have not taken place as a result of restrictions in supply; whether any alternative arrangements have been made for vaccination; and if he will make a statement. | | (216829) | 229
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was charged for NHS treatment by dentists in the Peterborough Primary Care Trust area in each year since May 2005; and if he make a statement. | | (216961) | 230
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Band 3 treatments were carried out by NHS dentists in the Peterborough Primary Care Trust area in each quarter since January 2005. | | (216962) | 231
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what proportion of individuals resident in the Peterborough Primary Care Trust area aged (a) under 16, (b) 16 to 60 and (c) over 60 years of age do not have access to an NHS dentist; and if he make a statement. | | (216963) | 232
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the case for introducing an NHS constitution in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (216905) | 233
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans the NHS Interim Management and Support will be established, as referred to on page 4 of his Department's document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, published on 4th June 2008; what budget will be provided to NHS Interim Management and Support in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (216906) | 234
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in which areas primary care trust commissioning is immature, as referred to on page 10 of his Department's document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, published on 4th June 2008. | | (216907) | 235
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what comparative information about (a) commissioners and (b) providers will be published by the Care Quality Commission, as referred to by the Chief Executive of the NHS on page 4 of his Department's document, Developing the NHS Performance Regime, published on 4th June 2008. | | (216908) | 236
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure robust data collection systems are in place during an influenza pandemic to capture data on (a) attack rate, (b) disease pattern and severity and (c) mortality as referred to on page 8 of his Department's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee's Subgroup on Modelling's modelling summary, dated February 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (216909) | 237
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to develop a flexible system to enable influenza antiviral treatment to be targeted dynamically, as referred to on page 8 of his Department's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee's Subgroup on Modelling's modelling summary, dated February 2008; what size of stockpile would make implementation of household prophylaxis practical; and if he will make a statement. | | (216910) | 238
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when his Department plans to have stockpiled influenza antivirals sufficient for 50 to 60 per cent. of the population, as referred to in paragraph 2.4.2(d) of his Department's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Advisory Committee's Subgroup on Modelling's modelling summary, dated February 2008. | | (216911) | 239
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the proportion of individuals infected with a pandemic strain of influenza who would go on to become clinical cases over the course of a pandemic; and if he will make a statement. | | (216912) | 240
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many exceptional funding requests for treatment were (a) approved and (b) declined by primary care trusts in each financial year since 2002-03. | | (216913) | 241
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the extension of the 31-day treatment standard, as referred to in his Department's Cancer Reform Strategy of 3rd December 2007, will include treatments which fall outside the commissioning policies of primary care trusts and require exceptional requests for funding from clinicians. | | (216914) | 242
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 27th February 2008, Official Report, columns 1762-3W, on the NHS: reorganisation, what work is being carried out on the case for an NHS constitution; what discussions his Department has had with (a) NHS staff, (b) patient groups and (c) others on the case for an NHS constitution; and on what dates. | | (216937) | 243
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 21st February 2008, Official Report, column 962W, on the NHS, on what specific elements of the constitution his Department is considering whether it is appropriate to legislate; and what elements of the constitution his Department is not proposing to enshrine in legislation. | | (216938) | 244
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Statement made by the Prime Minister on 14th May 2008, Official Report, column 1387, on the draft legislative programme, what minimum standards of (a) access, (b) quality and (c) safety he is considering incorporating in the NHS constitution; whether those minimum standards will differ from the registration requirements to be enforced by the Care Quality Commission; whether he plans to incorporate the minimum standards in legislation; and if he will make a statement. | | (216939) | 245
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children were prescribed Ritalin in each of the last 30 years for which figures are available, broken down by primary care trust area. | | (217024) | 246
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children were diagnosed with attention deficity hyperactivity disorder in each of the last 10 years, broken down by primary care trust. | | (217025) | 247
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on research into the psychotic effect of skunk cannabis on children in the last 10 years. | | (217027) | 248
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from the East of England Ambulance Service on the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on ambulance services. | | (217234) | 249
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect of recent increases in the cost of fuel on ambulance services in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. | | (217235) | 250
N | Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the current treatment for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is; and how services for PNH are currently commissioned and managed. | | (216627) | 251
N | Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria have been established for funding ultra orphan therapies; and if he will make a statement. | | (216643) | 252
| Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications for NHS bursaries were received from (a) medical and (b) dental students in each of the last five years; how many applicants were successful in each year; and how much was paid. | | (217106) | 253
| Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students from medical schools in the UK have graduated in each of the last five years; and how many of each graduation cohort are working in the NHS. | | (217107) | 254
| Mr Denis Murphy (Wansbeck): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many students graduated from dental schools in the UK in each of the last five years; and how many of each graduation cohort are working in the NHS. | | (217108) | 255
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to make a full-time appointment to the post of head of the NHS Commercial Directorate. | | [R] (216901) | 256
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the change has been in the number of employees of (a) the NHS and (b) his Department and its agencies since July 2006. | | (217066) | 257
N | David Taylor (North West Leicestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 30th June 2008, Official Report, column 659W, on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, what account was taken of the status of pro-nuclei as non-equivalent to the nucleus of an embryonic cell in developing the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill; and if he will make a statement. | | (216809) | 258
N | Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure that patients and clinicians at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre are consulted on proposals put forward by the South Central Strategic Health Authority to merge the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre with another health organisation. | | (216525) | 259
N | Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment the South Central Strategic Health Authority has made of the (a) clinical and (b) financial effects of a merger of the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre with another health organisation. | | (216526) | 260
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on paying graduate medical students' university tuition fees in each of the last five years. | | (216896) | 261
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department expects to spend on paying graduate medical students' university tuition fees in each of the next five years. | | (216897) | 262
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance will be provided by the NHS to Foundation House Officer 1s requiring help in finding accommodation for their four month placements. | | (216930) | 263
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the likely effect of the removal of free hospital accommodation for junior doctors on the recruitment of medical students from lower socio-economic backgrounds; and what steps he plans to take to prevent any negative effects. | | (216931) | 264
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9th June 2008, Official Report, column 56W, on doctors: housing, what (a) data and (b) methodology his Department and NHS employers used to determine the estimate of the number of junior doctors not provided with NHS-funded accommodation included in his Department's evidence to the Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body in 2007. | | (216971) | 265
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts on the future use of accommodation units formerly provided free of charge to junior doctors; and if he will make a statement. | | (217269) | 266
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reason the right to free hospital accommodation for junior doctors has not been incorporated into their terms and conditions of service; and if he will make a statement. | | (217271) | 267
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to secure a supply of drugs manufactured by Merck, Sharp & Dohme over the next five years; what recent discussions his Department has had with the company on contracts for the supply of drugs for use in the NHS in that period; and if he will make a statement. | | (216967) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 268
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what projects undertaken by Westminster City Council have received grant-aid funding from her Department since 1999. | | (217098) | 269
N | James Duddridge (Rochford & Southend East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals from Zimbabwe have claimed asylum in the UK in each of the last 24 months; how many of these claims have been rejected; and how many rejections were made in whole or in part on the basis of a connection with Zanu-PF. | | (216970) | 270
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department monitors levels of compliance with provisions of the Hunting Act 2004. | | (217262) | 271
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has made an assessment of compliance with the provisions of the Hunting Act 2004 in respect of (a) fox hunting, (b) hare coursing and (c) deer hunting. | | (217263) | 272
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations her Department has received on the proposal to ban the use of great apes for experimental and other scientific purposes in the proposed revision of Directive 86/609 EEC; and if she will make a statement. | | (217219) | 273
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of trends in the average street price of skunk cannabis in the last two years. | | (216998) | 274
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the proportion of children (a) under 14, (b) 14 to 16 and (c) between 17 and 18 years old who (i) have tried skunk cannabis and (ii) smoke skunk cannabis at least once a week in each of the last 10 years. | | (216999) | 275
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of mosquito dispersal devices that have been supplied to each (a) police force and (b) local authority in the last 12 months; and which (i) police forces and (ii) local authorities have deployed mosquito devices in that period. | | (217023) | 276
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on police services in (a) Hertfordshire and (b) England and Wales; and if she will make a statement. | | (217236) | 277
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on the police service; and if she will make a statement. | | (217237) | 278
| Mr Malcolm Moss (North East Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes of violence against the person were recorded in (a) Cambridgeshire Constabulary area and (b) Cambridge Constabulary Central Division in each of the last five years. | | (217078) | 279
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many representations she has received on the proposed withdrawal of the patrial concession which allows non-UK citizens to stay and work here if a parent or grandparent was born in the UK; and if she will make a statement. | | (217110) | 280
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the change in the number of employees in her Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217064) | 281
| Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken together with local authorities to encourage women to report domestic violence. | | (217174) | 282
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimate she has made of the (a) number and (b) average age on entry of gap year students entering the United Kingdom to work in the education sector. | | (216760) | 283
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to alter the visa requirements for gap year students entering the UK to work in the education sector; and if she will make a statement. | | (216761) | 284
N | Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisation is responsible for regulating (a) Bebo, (b) YouTube and (c) other internet sites; and if she will make a statement. | | (216594) | 285
| Mr Lee Scott (Ilford North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she plans to take to ensure that money raised in the UK for political, social or humanitarian activities by Hezbollah is not used to fund terrorist action. | | (217115) | 286
| Mr David Wilshire (Spelthorne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the Minister of State will reply to the hon. Member for Spelthorne's letter of 13th May 2008, on the planning application to convert 203-211 London Road, Staines into an administration and interview centre for the UK Border Agency. | | (216818) | Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 287
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what the cost has been of the refurbishment of the e-Library to create a new Members' Centre in Portcullis House; what the cost has been of the new (a) furnishings and (b) technological equipment installed in the new Members' Centre; what the reasons were for the establishment of the new Members' Centre in Portcullis House; and whether a cost benefit analysis was carried out before the new Members' Centre in Portcullis House was commissioned. | | (217114) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 288
| Adam Afriyie (Windsor): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what progress has been made in the UK Intellectual Property Office's consultation on representative actions; and when he expects (a) the consultation to conclude and (b) the UK Intellectual Property Office to report on the consultation findings. | | (217021) | 289
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 11th June 2008, Official Report, column 321W, on higher education: medicine, which university medical schools are participating in widening participation schemes; what financial provision has been extended to them by the Government in respect of such schemes; what criteria or guidance has been laid down by the Government for such schemes; and how many students entered foundation years prior to undertaking medical degrees as a result of such schemes in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by university. | | (217156) | 290
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many publicly-funded adult education classes were provided in each year since 2001. | | (216947) | 291
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many adults participated in publicly-funded adult education classes in each year since 2001. | | (216948) | 292
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the change in the number of employees of his Department and its agencies has been since the Department was established. | | (217068) | 293
N | Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much the Train to Gain programme cost in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by main budget heading. | | (216775) | 294
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many and what proportion of students studying for a higher education qualification in a further education college are (a) directly funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, (b) funded via a university and (c) funded by the Learning and Skills Council; and what proportion each of these groups form of the total number of higher education students in England. | | (216888) | 295
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the planned level of expenditure on sector compacts for (a) engineering, (b) construction, (c) hospitality and (d) process manufacturing is for (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11. | | (216889) | 296
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the estimated level of planned expenditure on sector compacts for (a) engineering, (b) construction, (c) hospitality and (d) process manufacturing will be as a proportion of Train to Gain funding in (i) 2008-09, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2010-11. | | (216890) | 297
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what additional sector compacts he expects to be agreed in the next 12 months. | | (216891) | 298
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what proportion of 17 and 18 year olds who took A-levels in 2007 (a) applied to and (b) have enrolled in a higher education institution. | | (216894) | 299
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what estimate he has made of the proportion of 16 year olds who achieved five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics who did not apply to university within two years of receiving their results in the most recent period for which figures are available. | | (216895) | 300
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what assessment he has made of the merits of giving separate consideration for funding of medical students in the 2009 review of the funding arrangements for all students in England. | | (216925) | 301
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what research has been undertaken by his Department on the reasons why 18 year olds with an academic or vocational Level 3 qualification decide not to enter higher education by the age of 19 years. | | (216926) | 302
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what information his Department holds on the number of 18 years olds with (a) an academic and (b) a vocational Level 3 qualification who did not enter higher education by the age of 19 years who moved on to (i) jobs without training, (ii) jobs with training, (iii) jobs with apprenticeships, (iv) full-time education at Level 3 or below, (v) unemployment and (vi) economic inactivity in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (216927) | 303
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what proportion of 18 year olds with (a) academic and (b) vocational Level 3 qualifications entered (i) full-time higher education and (ii) part-time higher education by the age of 19 years in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (216928) | 304
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what discussions he and his Department's officials have had with their counterparts in the Department of Health on the adequacy of student financial support available through the Student Loans Company and the NHS Grants Unit for medical students. | | (216929) | 305
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 5th June 2008, Official Report, column 1131W, on apprentices, what the reasons are for the planning assumption that the number of adult apprenticeship starts will reduce between 2009-10 and 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (216964) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 306
| Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, who will represent the UK at (a) the Millennium Development Goals meeting called by the UN Secretary General for September, (b) the Ghana Aid Summit in September and (c) the Financing for Development Conference in Doha in November. | | (216837) | 307
| Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment his Department has made of whether G8 countries will achieve the 2010 commitment of $50 billion in extra annual development assistance. | | (216838) | 308
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department's policies designed to reduce the rate of child mortality in Central and Western Asia in the last three years. | | (217017) | 309
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what representations his Department has made to the government of China on upholding its commitment to the UN Call to Action on the Millennium Development Goals. | | (217019) | 310
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what programmes are organised by his Department that promote integration of HIV and sexual and reproductive health and rights, as referred to in his most recent Departmental report. | | (217022) | 311
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department has taken to improve the UK's position in the UN Commitment to Development Index. | | (217028) | 312
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what increased resources will be used to reward improved institutional performance, as referred to in his Department's latest departmental report. | | (217037) | 313
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department takes to advocate particular trade proposals to developing countries; and what factors are taken into account in deciding whether to advocate a particular proposal. | | (217038) | 314
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps were taken by the UK in order to secure the World Bank International Development Association's policy changes in 2007. | | (217039) | 315
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the £307 million provided by his Department through central contributions to the UN agencies was distributed in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003 to 2007. | | (217040) | 316
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the European Commission's aim to co-ordinate all external policies that interwine with development objectives affect his Department's relationship with other board aid organisations, as referred to in his Department's most recent departmental report. | | (217041) | 317
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the reasons were for his statement in his Department's latest departmental report that the success and adoption of the 2007 Lisbon Treaty was necessary to provide a clear legal basis for humanitarian aid. | | (217042) | 318
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the possible effect of the Lisbon Treaty being abandoned on the delivery of the EU humanitarian aid programme. | | (217043) | 319
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports he has received on (a) which countries the African Development Bank has experienced the most problems with in transforming the funding given into successful and long-term projects and (b) how the Bank hopes to resolve these problems, as referred to in his Department's most recent departmental report. | | (217044) | 320
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department takes when it judges that an institution of government in a country receiving direct or indirect funding from his Department is performing inadequately on that funding. | | (217045) | 321
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department has took to strengthen relations with France prior to its assuming the EU Presidency, as referred to in his Department's most recent departmental report; and what effect those steps have had on the UK's influence over how EU aid is distributed. | | (217046) | 322
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, from what sources the $60 billion committed to fighting HIV and AIDS by the G8 at Heiligendamm in June 2007 will be provided; and what proportion of that sum has been committed by the Government. | | (217224) | 323
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria his Department has established for projects to be supported through the Civil Society Challenge Fund; in which countries the projects supplied by the funds in 2006-07 were located; what the five projects receiving the most funding were; and what organisations administered each. | | (217225) | 324
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which 10 countries have received the most funding from the Governance and Transparency Fund since its inception; and how much each received. | | (217226) | 325
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which civil society organisations received funding under partnership programme agreements in 2006-07; what the expertise of each is; and what their specific subject areas are. | | (217227) | 326
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to paragraph 7.53 of his Department's 2008 Annual Report, which Millennium Development Goals his Department is not on track to meet by 2015. | | (217228) | 327
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department has taken towards delivering the Millennium Development Goals call to action in 2008. | | (217229) | 328
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which members of his Department plan to attend the high-level meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in New York in September 2008; and what the projected travel and accommodation costs are. | | (217230) | 329
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries have agreed to support the Call to Action initiative as a result of UK intervention; and whether his Department continues to seek the support of more countries. | | (217231) | 330
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what provision the International Health Partnership makes for (a) co-ordination among aid donors and (b) a development focus on health systems; and if he will make a statement. | | (217232) | 331
| Mrs Claire Curtis-Thomas (Crosby): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what criteria were used to select the eight countries where the International Health Partnership has been implemented; and what plans there are to extend it to further countries. | | (217233) | 332
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the change in the number of employees in his Department has been since July 2006. | | (217072) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 333
N | John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many men convicted of domestic violence offences have been released under the End of Custody Licence scheme; what risk assessment or accommodation check was carried out in each case; what records he holds on whether any such offenders have re-offended; whether any such offenders have been recalled to prison; and if he will make a statement. | | (215749) | 334
| Mr Jeremy Browne (Taunton): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what percentage of people convicted of encouraging violent behaviour involving the use of a knife under the Knives Act 1997 have been (a) female and (b) male. | | (217113) | 335
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30th June 2008, Official Report, columns 683-4W, on the Information Commissioner, what steps he is taking to assist the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to speed up the processing of its caseload; and what consideration he has given to providing additional resources to the ICO. | | (217112) | 336
| Philip Davies (Shipley): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department has issued on whether it is appropriate for an employment tribunal to be chaired by a relative of the person who has brought the case under consideration. | | (216904) | 337
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many ramdom mandatory drug tests in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales were carried out on each day of the week in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07; and how many tests carried out on (a) Mondays and (b) in total in each of those years gave a positive result for (i) cannabis, (ii) any opiate, (iii) heroin and (iv) methadone. | | (217161) | 338
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse of the (a) testing process and (b) analysis of results for random mandatory drug tests carried out in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales was in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07. | | (217162) | 339
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what percentage of the population of each (a) prison and (b) young offender institution in England and Wales was tested each month under a random mandatory drug test in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07. | | (217163) | 340
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of those random mandatory drug tests carried out in prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales which tested 5 per cent. of inmates monthly gave postive results for (a) cannabis, (b) any opiate, (c) heroin and (d) methadone in each year from 2000-01 to 2006-07. | | (217164) | 341
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions have (a) been brought and (b) resulted in convictions under the Hunting Act 2004; and whether any convictions have been successfully appealed against. | | (217264) | 342
| John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he expects the United Kingdom to accede to Protocol 7 of the European Convention on Human Rights. | | (216968) | 343
N | Mr Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool, Walton): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what he expects the cost to the public purse to be of the by-election in Haltemprice and Howden; what the maximum cost of the freepost afforded to each candidate will be; and if he will break down all other costs associated with the by-election. | | (216996) | 344
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what harm reduction strategies in respect of Class A drug taking are in place in prisons in England and Wales. | | (216949) | 345
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the trends in the availability of drugs in prisons. | | (216950) | 346
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps are being taken to reduce the availability of Class A drugs in prisons. | | (216951) | 347
N | Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of (a) robbery and (b) actual bodily harm have been released on end of custody licence. | | (216952) | 348
N | Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been released on end of custody licence who had previously been refused a home detention curfew. | | (216953) | 349
N | Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been released on end of custody licence since 27th June 2007. | | (216954) | 350
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of an offence of (a) violence and (b) domestic violence have been released on end of custody licence from Welsh prisons. | | (216955) | 351
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been released on End of Custody Licence from Welsh prisons since 27th June 2007. | | (216956) | 352
| Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people convicted of offences involving domestic violence have been released on end of custody licence since 27th June 2007. | | (216957) | 353
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been sentenced for (a) trafficking and (b) selling skunk cannabis in each of the last 10 years. | | (217026) | 354
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions have been brought under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000; how many convictions there have been for offences under the Act; what the sentences were in each case; what the donations were in each such case; how many such cases involved late declarations; and what the delay in declaration was in each such case. | | (216814) | 355
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 30th June 2008, Official Report, column 684W, on prisons: telephones, if as part of the re-tendering process he will undertake to bring prison telephone tariffs closer to comparable tariffs outside prison. | | (216975) | 356
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many claims for redress and compensation the Legal Services Commission received in respect of (a) the unified contract, (b) online services provided by the Commission and (c) late payments by the Commission in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09; what action the Commission has taken in response; and which claims remain outstanding. | | (217287) | 357
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the merits of (a) audit and (b) scrutiny of the recording of (i) complaints to the Legal Services Commission and (ii) responses to correspondence by (A) the Legal Services Commission and (B) his Department. | | (217288) | 358
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence officials in his Department have had (i) internally and (ii) with the Treasury Solicitor's Department on the proposal to resolve the outstanding issues in the George Kelly case by mediation. | | (217290) | 359
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what invoices his Department has received for work undertaken by the Treasury Solicitor on his Department's behalf in connection with matters related to the George Kelly case; and what payments have been made in respect of such invoices. | | (217291) | 360
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance he issues to the judiciary on the amount of costs that can be recovered by a litigant from an opponent ordered to pay costs in litigation. | | (217292) | 361
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how the Legal Services Commission records complaints under its complaints procedures; what complaints databases it maintains; what classes of information are recorded on such databases; which departments in the Commission maintain records of complaints; and what grade of official is responsible for the (a) entry, (b) verification and accuracy, (c) audit and (d) security of the data of such information. | | (217293) | 362
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department's accounting office issues on the amount of costs that can be recovered by a litigant from an opponent ordered to pay costs in litigation; and what the duties of the accounting officer are in respect of cost recovery on his Department's behalf. | | (217294) | 363
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what arrangements are in place in his Department to delegate authority for settling litigation claims by mediation; to what grade of official the authority is delegated; and if he will make a statement. | | (217295) | 364
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints handlers there are within the Legal Services Commission to handle complaints made to the Commission; and where each is located. | | (217296) | 365
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how the Legal Services Commission's national customer service score is calculated. | | (217297) | 366
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints were received about information relating to account holders' payments held by the Legal Services Commission being (a) sent to the wrong suppliers and (b) sent in a unusable format since 1st April 2008. | | (217298) | 367
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many payments have not been made by the Legal Services Commission on the due date to suppliers since 1st April 2008. | | (217299) | 368
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints under the Legal Services Commission's complaints procedures were recorded by the Legal Services Commission in each year since 2004-05. | | (217300) | 369
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the complaints under the Legal Services Commission's complaints procedures have been made by (a) hon. Members, (b) those seeking legal services funded by the Legal Services Commission and (c) providers of services funded by the Legal Services Commission in each year since 2004-05. | | (217301) | 370
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what procedures are used to process complaints on action by the Legal Services Commission in breach of its complaints procedures guarantee. | | (217302) | 371
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many telephone complaints have been made to (a) the Chief Executive's Office, (b) the Central Customer Service Unit and (c) the North of England Regional Office of the Legal Services Commission on (i) non-compliance with the Commission's complaints procedure guarantee and (ii) failures to respond to complaints about the Commission's non-compliance with its complaint procedure guarantee; and in what form such complaints were recorded. | | (217303) | 372
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much in due payments was not processed by the date due by the Legal Services Commission since 1st April 2008. | | (217304) | 373
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) interest, (b) compensation and (c) other costs have been paid by the Legal Services Commission to suppliers to whom the Commission failed to make due payments by the due date since 1st April 2008. | | (217305) | 374
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of fraud involving credit card skimming in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (217109) | 375
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the change has been in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies since July 2006. | | (217065) | 376
N | Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of stay was of the 132 referrals to the Prospects Project in Exeter between December 2005 and February 2008; and what the cost was of each referral. | | (216992) | 377
N | Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were admitted to the Prospects Project in each year between December 2005 and February 2008. | | (216993) | 378
| Hon Nicholas Soames (Mid Sussex): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff were employed at the Prospects Project in Exeter; and what their duties were. | | (216994) | 379
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the receiving or sending prison is responsible for making arrangements with the escort contractor on a prisoner's transfer transport between prisons; what guidelines are in place on the number of days a transfer is to be completed in; and if he will make a statement. | | (216416) | 380
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many formal punishments were recorded against (a) male and (b) female prisoners in each prison in each of the last five years. | | (216823) | 381
| Dr Rudi Vis (Finchley & Golders Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many British Sign Language users worked in each prison at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (216997) | Questions to the Leader of the House 382
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Leader of the House, how much resettlement grant would be payable to each hon. Member if he or she left the House in (a) May 2010 and (b) May 2014 calculated on current salary levels under the terms of (i) the current resettlement grant scheme and (ii) the resettlement grant scheme proposed by the Members Estimate Committee in recommendation 15 in its Third Report of Session 2007-08 HC 578-I. | | (217173) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 383
| Mark Durkan (Foyle): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what tariffs apply to telephone calls made by prisoners in each prison in Northern Ireland. | | (216817) | 384
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much the Police Service of Northern Ireland spent on the Pentameter 2 initiative in the last 12 months; what financial and logistical support his Department gives to the initiative in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (217010) | 385
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much it cost to establish the new Police Service of Northern Ireland Pentameter 2 office in Belfast; what the annual operating costs of the new office are expected to be; and if he will make a statement. | | (217011) | 386
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many full-time equivalent (a) police officers and (b) civilian support staff are working on the Pentameter 2 initiative in (i) Northern Ireland and (ii) the specialist Belfast Pentameter 2 office. | | (217012) | Questions to the Prime Minister 387
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Prime Minister, which Ministers and officials will accompany him to the G8 Heads of Government Summit in Japan; and if he will (a) place in the Library and (b) post on his Office's website links to the papers submitted to the summit by (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other participants. | | (217096) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 388
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the factual paper being prepared on the Barnett formula. | | (216898) | 389
| Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with telecommunication service providers on the upgrading of internet services to Scottish island communities; and what recent representations his Department has made to (a) BT and (b) other telecommunication service providers in Scotland on this matter. | | (217159) | Questions to the Solicitor General 390
| Mr Edward O'Hara (Knowsley South): To ask the Solicitor General, what the hourly charging rates of staff of the Treasury Solicitor's Department were in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08. | | (217289) | Questions to the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission 391
| Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many staff are employed by the Commission in each Directorate; and how many staff are engaged in the Commission on work on the compliance with notification of political donations by hon. Members. | | (216830) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 392
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects the provisional findings of the Competition Commission inquiry into the rolling stock companies to be made available to (a) her and (b) Ministerial colleagues; and on what date the findings will be made public. | | (216758) | 393
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the reasons were for the consultation process adopted in relation to rolling stock companies prior to the publication of her Department's high level output statement. | | (216763) | 394
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department has tested future transport policy against each of the oil price scenarios provided by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform; and if she will make a statement. | | (216765) | 395
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much she has allocated to building the new multi-purpose driving test centres in (a) Kettering and (b) England. | | (216527) | 396
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate she has made of the net cost of the re-organisation of driving test centres in (a) Wellingborough, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England. | | (216528) | 397
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new multi-purpose driving test centres are being built; and what the location of each such centre is. | | (216529) | 398
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many driving test centres are to close as a result of the introduction of multi-purpose test centres; and what the location of each centre planned for closure is. | | (216530) | 399
N | Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) incidents and (b) accidents involving vessels there were on the River Thames in each month of the last three years. | | (214784) | 400
N | Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, which 24 UK flagged ships were detained by Port State Authorities belonging to the Paris memorandum of undertaking on Port State Control; and what the (a) name, (b) manager, (c) beneficial owner and (d) country of beneficial owner was of each. | | (214785) | 401
| Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward proposals for a police trial of electric personal assistive mobility devices as part of the roadmap process to regulatory approval. | | (216921) | 402
N | Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates meetings have been held between Ministers and officials from her Department and representatives of the Co-operative Wholesale Society since 1st May 2005 on the development of the Co-operative Wholesale Society's land within Harborough District; where each meeting took place; and who attended each. | | (216590) | 403
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many checks on heavy goods vehicles were carried out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency in each of the most recent (a) 12 months and (b) four quarters; and what the country of registration was of those vehicles. | | (216995) | 404
| Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 11th June 2008, Official Report, column 727W, on M60: road signs and markings, whether a review of the use of scrolling arrows has been conducted since the consideration referred to in the Answer; and if she will make a statement. | | (217267) | 405
| Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 5th July 2007, Official Report, column 1180W, on M60: road signs and markings, what discussions her Department has had on legislative proposals aimed at permitting the use of scrolling arrows to direct traffic on the M60. | | (217270) | 406
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she plans to make a decision on proposals to improve the A14 around Kettering. | | (217035) | 407
| Mr Adam Holloway (Gravesham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many times the online vehicle excise duty website was unavailable in each of the last 24 months. | | (216825) | 408
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to introduce a high speed rail network on the East Coast. | | (217154) | 409
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much the Government Car Service spent on fuel in each of the last six months for which records are available. | | (217239) | 410
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations she has received from bus service operators on the effect of increases in the cost of fuel on the provision of school bus services; and if she will make a statement. | | (217241) | 411
| Lembit Öpik (Montgomeryshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much her Department has allocated to fund the transport advice element of (a) the green homes project and (b) the Act on CO2 advice line for 2008-09. | | (217244) | 412
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the change in the number of employees in her Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217067) | 413
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she next plans to meet the management of National Express to discuss the punctuality of East Coast Main Line rail services. | | (217277) | 414
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she next plans to meet Network Rail to discuss the performance of the (a) track and (b) trains on the East Coast Main Line. | | (217278) | 415
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will meet a delegation of passengers to discuss the provision of rail services on the East Coast Main Line. | | (217279) | 416
| Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the performance of rail services on the East Coast Main Line; and if she will review the National Express franchise against that assessment. | | (217280) | Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality 417
| Mrs Linda Riordan (Halifax): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what services are available in Halifax constituency for women seeking refuge from domestic violence who have no access to public funds to assist them. | | (217218) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 418
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of national insurance numbers issued to migrant workers in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (216899) | 419
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of children were living in working households earning less than 60 per cent. of median income (a) before and (b) after housing costs in each English region in each year since 1990. | | (217099) | 420
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of (a) children, (b) pensioners and (c) working age adults were in poverty in each English region in (i) 1990, (ii) 2000 and (iii) 2007. | | (217100) | 421
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new claims for housing benefit were received in each London local authority in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (217101) | 422
| Ms Karen Buck (Regent's Park & Kensington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of housing benefit claims were from households where the claimant was (a) 65 years old or more and (b) in work in each London local authority area in the last 12 months; and what the median processing time of the claims was in each case. | | (217102) | 423
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the percentage of final salary which would be provided for a personal account saver for (a) men, (b) women and (c) all people on average earnings throughout their working lives. | | (216839) | 424
N | Mr Jim Devine (Livingston): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to make progress towards the Government's targets on child poverty reduction; and if he will make a statement. | | (216457) | 425
| Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) liability orders and (b) deduction of earnings orders have been issued by the Child Support Agency to non-resident parents in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK in each year since 1997. | | (217169) | 426
| Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Child Support Agency cases have been passed to the bailiffs in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. | | (217170) | 427
| Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much money has been collected by the Child Support Agency from non-resident parents in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. | | (217171) | 428
| Mr Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in respect of how many children child maintenance payments were made in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. | | (217172) | 429
| Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to assist benefit recipients with personal debt management. | | (217036) | 430
N | Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of the working age population in Peterborough was in receipt of incapacity benefit in each year since 2001, broken down by electoral ward; and if he will make a statement. | | (216332) | 431
N | Mr John MacDougall (Glenrothes): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to make access to the Social Fund easier for older people. | | (216819) | 432
N | Mr John MacDougall (Glenrothes): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the Social Fund meets the needs of the poorest pensioners. | | (216820) | 433
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of staff in his Department and its agencies did not receive the maximum bonus possible under a bonus scheme applying to them in the last two years. | | (217057) | 434
| Mr John Redwood (Wokingham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the change in the number of employees in his Department and its agencies has been since July 2006. | | (217074) | 435
N | Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria are used to decide which region is selected for a pilot scheme by his Department. | | (216918) | 436
N | Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's total budget was for running pilot schemes in each of the last five years; and how much was spent (a) in Wales and (b) on testing service provision through the medium of Welsh. | | (216919) | 437
N | Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pilot schemes were run by his Department in each of the last five years, broken down by region. | | (216920) | 438
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many calls were made to benefit delivery centres in each year since their inception, broken down by category of call; and if he will make a statement. | | (216965) | 439
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of applications for each type of claimed benefit delivery were dealt with (a) through benefit call centres, (b) through Jobcentre Plus offices, (c) by home appointment, (d) over the internet and (e) by another means in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (216981) | 440
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the annual cost of increasing the basic state pension to £124.05, net of income related benefits and additional tax revenue (a) with and (b) without the winter fuel payment; and if he will make a statement. | | (216982) | 441
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the administrative costs of the Financial Assistance Scheme were in each month since April 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (216984) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 442
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many men (a) were offered and (b) accepted first line hormone therapy to treat metastatic prostate cancer in each of the last three years. | | [Transferred] (216755) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 443
| Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 12th June 2008, Official Report, columns 392-3W, on water supply, what the evidential basis is for the establishment of (a) the benchmark in the Code for Sustainable Homes of 80 litres of water per person per day at Level 5 and (b) the proposed building regulation design performance standard of 125 litres per person per day; what estimate she has made of the number of homes expected to achieve each target by 2021; and if she will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (217141) |
|
