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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Monday 15 December 2008
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Monday 15 December 2008
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Monday 15 December 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 15 December of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Monday 15 December see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 1
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, on what dates since 1 January 2007 (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with (i) Finsbury Ltd and (ii) Roland Rudd. | | (243128) | 2
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent representations he has received from Finsbury Ltd in connection with the proposal for a third runway at Heathrow. | | (243129) | 3
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what plans he has to increase the work of post offices and to expand the financial services they offer; and whether he intends to continue the Post Office closure programme. | | (243890) | 4
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many post offices scheduled to shut under the Network Change programme remain open; and what the date of the latest scheduled closure is. | | (243891) | 5
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the economic effect of local post offices on small and medium-sized businesses in that area. | | (243892) | 6
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when the first meeting of the new cross-departmental Post Office group is to be held. | | (243893) | 7
| Jon Cruddas (Dagenham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what plans he has to increase the proportion of Post Office business from the Government. | | (243894) | 8
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 425W, on the Regional Economic Council, where on his Department's website the notes following each regional economic council are located. | | (243805) | 9
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many small and medium-sized enterprises there were in (a) Southampton, (b) Test Valley Borough, (c) Eastleigh Borough and (d) Romsey constituency in each of the last five years. | | (243917) | 10
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which banks he expects to participate in the Small Business Finance Scheme; what steps his Department is taking to encourage such participation; and if he will make a statement. | | (244002) | 11
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what criteria there will be for small businesses wishing to access funding under the Small Business Finance Scheme; and if he will make a statement. | | (244003) | 12
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when the Small Business Finance Scheme will become operational; and if he will make a statement. | | (244004) | 13
| Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate his Department has made of (a) the number of individuals subject to and (b) failing to meet the terms of debt management plans in each of the last four years. | | (244420) | 14
| Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what representations from (a) individuals and (b) businesses his Department has received regarding the working and effectiveness of debt management plans in the last year. | | (244421) | 15
| Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent representations his Department has received from individuals and organisations on the regulation of debt management plans; and if he will make a statement. | | (244422) | 16
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what budget the Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has to publicise its activities; and what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the agency's promotional activities. | | (244032) | 17
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the extent of queuing at post offices. | | (243214) | 18
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what effect the closure of sub post offices has had on the (a) incidence, (b) length and (c) duration of queues at remaining post offices over the last three years. | | (243215) | 19
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many complaints he has received about queues at post offices in each of the last three years. | | (243216) | 20
N | Mr Peter Lilley (Hitchin & Harpenden): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether he has discussed queues at post offices with the management of Post Office Ltd. | | (243217) | 21
| Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what responsibilities the regional development agencies will have under the proposals set out in the Raising Expectations White Paper; and if he will make a statement. | | (244174) | 22
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244363) | 23
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will list the approved export licences to Eritrea in 2007; how many applications for licences to export to Eritrea were refused during (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; in respect of what types of goods and services such applications were refused; and what the grounds were for refusal. | | (243936) | 24
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when businesses will be entitled to apply for the Small Business Finance Scheme. | | (243135) | 25
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when he expects the first payments to be made under the Small Business Finance Scheme. | | (243136) | 26
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what resources he is putting in place to ensure that applications for the Small Business Finance Scheme are processed efficiently. | | (243821) | 27
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, when he expects to make an announcement on the new role of the Chief Construction Officer. | | (243822) | 28
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effect on domestic cement manufacture of carbon dioxide emissions allowance auctioning proposals under Phase III of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme should (a) no border adjustment mechanism be introduced for non-carbon constrained countries and (b) no free allowances be granted; and if he will make a statement. | | (244497) | 29
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the effect on the long-term supply of cement and concrete to the construction industry of domestic cement manufacturers ceasing to produce cement in the UK; and if he will make a statement. | | (244498) | 30
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the carbon dioxide price at which domestic cement manufacturing may begin to reduce in the UK should no equalisation measures be placed on cement exporters outside the EU at the start of Phase III of the Emissions Trading Scheme; and if he will make a statement. | | (244499) | 31
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will estimate the percentage of domestic cement manufacture which may move to countries outside the ambit of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) at a price per tonne of carbon dioxide of (a) 20 euros, (b) 25 euros, (c) 30 euros, (d) 35 euros and (e) 40 euros (i) should free allowances be granted to cement manufacturers at each percentage point between 80 and 100 per cent. of their total allowances under Phase III of the ETS and (ii) should no equalisation measures be placed on exporters outside the EU at the start of Phase III; and if he will make a statement. | | (244500) | 32
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what options his Department has to assist Woolworths in the current economic climate; and if he will make a statement. | | (244340) | 33
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many social enterprises there were in each of the principle seaside towns on the latest date for which figures are available; and what percentage of all businesses in each town this represents. | | (244256) | 34
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what work has been undertaken by the regional development agency coastal towns network in the last 12 months. | | (244400) | 35
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243581) | 36
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much his Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243721) | 37
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243739) | 38
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what representations he has received from (a) the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and (b) Ford on (i) financial support from the taxpayers and (ii) Ford's plans to move production of the Transit Van from Southampton to Turkey; and if he will make a statement. | | (243076) | 39
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many businesses were registered for VAT in (a) Castle Point constituency and (b) Essex in each of the last five years. | | (243678) | 40
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will make it his policy to ensure that temporary and permanent employees at the same grade and at an hourly rate by his Department are paid at the same rate. | | (244399) | 41
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight Report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular regard to those recommendations concerning flexible working; and if he will make a statement. | | (244011) | 42
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment he has made of Postcomm's direction in respect of Royal Mail's request for exemption from the pre-notification requirements for changes to its local collect service; and if he will make a statement. | | (244401) | 43
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will take steps to ensure that construction companies undertaking public sector infrastructure works are required to employ apprentices. | | (244277) | 44
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent consideration he has given to bringing forward publicly-funded capital works commissioned by his Department; and what discussions he has had with Treasury ministers on the financing of these projects. | | (244278) | 45
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many independent retailers were operating in the Reading Borough Council area in each of the last 10 years. | | (244438) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 46
N | Mr John Baron (Billericay): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether VAT is charged on sales of charity Christmas cards. | | (243966) | 47
| Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what reference HM Revenue and Customs makes to the Gambling Commission's requirements and technical standards for gaming machines when determining for taxation purposes whether particular machines have an element of chance. | | (244105) | 48
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effects on small businesses of the change in the level of empty property rate since its introduction on 1 April 2008. | | (243679) | 49
N | Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent estimate he has made of the take-up rate for working tax credit by (a) single people and (b) childless couples. | | (243939) | 50
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the closure of Equitable Life to new business. | | (242640) | 51
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department has taken to protect the investments of Equitable Life policy-holders. | | (242641) | 52
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department monitored the proposed sale of the Equitable Life with-profits fund. | | (242642) | 53
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 880W, on credit rating, what assessment he has made of the outcome of the European Commission's consultation on an EU-wide registration scheme for credit rating agencies. | | (243803) | 54
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidelines (a) UK Financial Investments Ltd and (b) the Financial Services Authority has established to govern bonuses paid to senior bank executives. | | (243869) | 55
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many Financial Servies Authority (FSA) staff are on secondment from (a) HSBC, (b) Lloyds TSB, (c) HBOS, (d) Northern Rock, (e) Bradford and Bingley and (f) the Royal Bank of Scotland; who pays the salaries for secondees to the FSA; and what proportion of FSA staff is made up of secondees. | | (244228) | 56
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will require those banks in receipt of public money to increase liquidity to include representatives of the banking trades unions on their remuneration committees. | | (244302) | 57
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what guidance the Financial Services Authority has given to those banks in receipt of public money to assist their liquidity on building up their balance sheets. | | (244459) | 58
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to discuss with football authorities payment of tax arrears by professional football clubs. | | (243687) | 59
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the difference was between tax owed to and tax received by the Exchequer in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. | | (243688) | 60
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what timetable he has set for reducing levels of duty on alcohol introduced to offset the temporary reduction in VAT levels. | | (243487) | 61
| Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 2 June 2000, Official Report, column 720W, on Revenue and Customs: correspondence, on what dates and for what amounts tax credit manual payments have been issued to the constituent referred to in the Answer in 2008-09 to date; and how many of these were substitute payments. | | (244001) | 62
| Justine Greening (Putney): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which Government departments will be exempt from the allocation of the £5 billion of additional recoverable savings under the increased cross-Government value for money target for 2010-11, referred to in paragraph 6.32, page 122 of the Pre-Budget Report 2008. | | (244423) | 63
| Justine Greening (Putney): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, by what criteria the £5 billion of additional recoverable savings under the increased cross-Government value for money target for 2010-11, referred to in paragraph 6.32, page 122 of the Pre-Budget Report 2008, will be allocated. | | (244424) | 64
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the one-off payment of £70 for children with disabilities, announced in the Pre-Budget Statement of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 503, what estimate he has made of the number of disabled children eligible for the payment; and what estimate he has made of the total cost to the Treasury of these payments. | | (243884) | 65
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government's policy is on the proposals on the registration of credit rating agencies set out in the draft EU Directive on Credit Rating Agencies. | | (244307) | 66
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government's policy is in relation to the work of the EU high-level group on regulation of financial services chaired by M. de Larosiere, established in October 2008. | | (244308) | 67
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received on the provisions of the EU Solvency II Directive; what assessment he has made of those provisions; and if he will make a statement. | | (244309) | 68
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward proposals to increase the accountability to Parliament of the Financial Services Authority. | | (244310) | 69
| Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tonnes of gold have been sold from UK reserves in each year since May 1997; what revenue was received from sales in each year; and if he will estimate the revenue which each sale would have generated at current gold prices. | | (244303) | 70
| Miss Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses have applied to defer their VAT payments in the latest period for which figures are available; and how many such applications have been granted. | | (244066) | 71
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244356) | 72
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will extend the qualification period for the Business Payment Support Service to the third quarter of 2008. | | (243137) | 73
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he or his officials will meet representatives of depositors in Landsbanki Guernsey to discuss the means of recovering their savings. | | (243800) | 74
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of the collapse of Landsbanki Guernsey. | | (243801) | 75
| Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the take-up by employers of the childcare voucher scheme in circumstances where the employee receives no more than statutory maternity pay; and if he will make a statement. | | (243697) | 76
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money was allocated to reviving (a) coalfield communities, (b) steel communities, (c) rural communities, (d) inner-city areas and (e) seaside towns in each of the last 10 years. | | (244274) | 77
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243561) | 78
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243745) | 79
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243900) | 80
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review his policy of VAT relief for children's clothes in view of the increase to 18 years of age of the requirement to participate in education or training; and if he will make a statement. | | (243078) | 81
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were employed at HM Revenue and Customs offices in Southend in each of the last five years. | | (243667) | 82
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244384) | 83
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244027) | 84
| Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 November 2008, Official Report, columns 66-7WS, on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, if he will reassess the merits of his plans to remove the fuel duty rebate for biofuels in 2010-11 following the discovery of the drafting error in the 2007 Order. | | (244548) | 85
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the bank recapitalisation scheme on levels of bank lending. | | (244124) | 86
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what discussions he has had with Ministers at the (a) Department for Transport, (b) Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and (c) Department for Communities and Local Government on bringing forward publicly-funded capital works commissioned by these departments. | | (244276) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 87
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of (a) maintained, (b) specialist science, (c) grammar and (d) independent schools offered triple science GCSE courses in physics, chemistry and biology in each year since 1992. | | (240800) | 88
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils in maintained schools were entered for individual science GCSE examinations in (a) biology, (b) chemistry and (c) physics in each year since 1992. | | (240805) | 89
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what representations he has received from teaching organisations on the potential risks arising from the use of wireless technology; and if he will make a statement. | | (243952) | 90
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which local authorities have applied unsucessfully for funding to implement family intervention projects and the Think Family reforms. | | (244526) | 91
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he expects the requirement for schools to record all bullying incidents to be implemented; and what steps he will take to monitor those records. | | (243127) | 92
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether he has plans for the inspection of the records kept by schools of incidents of bullying. | | (243489) | 93
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what definitions have been provided to schools for the purposes of recording incidents of bullying. | | (243490) | 94
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he plans to publish the results of the evaluations of the pilots of the single level tests. | | (243818) | 95
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much funding is available to primary schools in (a) West Chelmsford constituency, (b) Essex and (c) England for children diagnosed with specific learning difficulties in 2008-09. | | (243967) | 96
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the number of teachers working in (a) West Chelmsford constituency, (b) Essex and (c) England who were subject to physical attack in the workplace in 2008. | | (243968) | 97
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what estimate he has made of the number of physical attacks against people working in education in West Chelmsford constituency in 2008. | | (243969) | 98
N | Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children between the ages of four and 11 years (a) suspended and (b) suspended more than once from school in (i) West Chelmsford constituency, (ii) Essex and (iii) England in 2008. | | (243970) | 99
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) assisted into links between children's educational performance and their diet. | | (244260) | 100
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what progress has been made towards re-installing kitchens in schools from which they had been removed. | | (244261) | 101
| Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Chief Executive of Ofsted to the Children, Schools and Families Committee on 10 December, HC 70-i, if his Department will review the performance of Ofsted senior management and make changes where appropriate. | | (244065) | 102
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, at how many maintained, mainstream schools (a) 75 per cent. or more and (b) 90 per cent. or more of pupils eligible to receive free school meals did not attain any GCSE grades higher than a D in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (243851) | 103
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils eligible to receive free school meals attained a GCSE in (a) physics, (b) chemistry and (c) biology at grade A* in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (243852) | 104
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of pupils who gained a GCSE in (a) German, (b) French and (c) Spanish were educated in (i) the state sector and (ii) the independent sector in the latest year for which figures are available, broken down by individual grade. | | (243853) | 105
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of pupils eligible to receive free school meals achieved (a) a modern language GCSE at grades A* to C and (b) five GCSEs at grades A* to C including a modern language GCSE in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (243854) | 106
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to the Answer of 16 October 2008, Official Report, columns 1502-3W, on schools: assessments, which mainstream schools did not enter any pupils for A level geography. | | (243855) | 107
| Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to the Answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, columns 118-21W, on gifted and talented youth, how many and what proportion of primary school pupils are participating in the Young, Gifted and Talented Programme, broken down by local authority area. | | (243856) | 108
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much funding will be provided to (a) Romsey constituency, (b) the City of Southampton and (c) Test Valley Borough under the free childcare for training and learning for work scheme in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement. | | (243933) | 109
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils receiving free school meals gained five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents in each of the last 10 years. | | (244286) | 110
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils gained five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents in each year since 1997. | | (244287) | 111
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils gained five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics but excluding equivalents, media studies GCSE, psychology GCSE, and PE GCSE. | | (244288) | 112
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils achieved five A* to C grade GCSEs including English, mathematics, science and a foreign language in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008. | | (244289) | 113
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils obtained five grade A* to C GCSEs excluding equivalents in (a) 1997 and (b) 2008. | | (244291) | 114
| 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 entered for GCSEs in each subject in 2008. | | (244292) | 115
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils did not obtain five GCSEs at any grade excluding equivalents in 2008. | | (244293) | 116
| Michael Gove (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils eligible for free school meals did not get any GCSEs at grade (a) C, (b) D, (c) E, (d) F and (e) G or above in 2008. | | (244315) | 117
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what proportion of pupils in (a) Wiltshire, (b) London and (c) England reached the end of compulsory schooling without a qualification in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (243778) | 118
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much funding was provided to Newcastle City Council for the maintenance and establishment of children's play areas in the latest period for which figure are available; and what monitoring his Department undertakes to ensure this funding is being used appropriately by local authorities. | | (244126) | 119
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what proportion of Fresh Start schools reached the benchmark of pupils achieving five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and mathematics in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. | | (244226) | 120
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department has spent on contracting a private company to provide pre-tests to the (a) key stage 2 and (b) key stage 3 tests for 2009; and if he will make a statement. | | (244530) | 121
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many 5 year olds did not start formal education until the autumn term in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. | | (244531) | 122
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many (a) key stage 1 and (b) key stage 2 test results were appealed against in 2008; what proportion of those appeals led to the results being changed; and if he will make a statement. | | (244532) | 123
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many students who started a new diploma course in September 2008 have since withdrawn from the course; and if he will make a statement. | | (244533) | 124
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children were in care as a result of their mother's imprisonment in the last year for which figures are available; and what percentage of those children were subsequently returned to their mother's care. | | (244491) | 125
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what monitoring his Department undertakes of the speed with which local authorities (a) submit care orders for processing through the courts and (b) transfer children in their care or custody into foster homes. | | (244504) | 126
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many women in prison have children in the care of (a) social services and (b) another guardian. | | (244505) | 127
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many prisoners in England were previously children in care at any time during their lives and received a custodial sentence when they were juveniles. | | (244506) | 128
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children in care were convicted of a crime in each of the last five years, broken down by type of crime. | | (244507) | 129
| Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many asylum-seeking children are in care. | | (244512) | 130
| Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what tasks he has asked each Government Office to undertake relating to the proposed changes to the funding and management of sixth form colleges; and if he will make a statement. | | (244171) | 131
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much has been spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms since it was established. | | (244361) | 132
| Meg Munn (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will take steps to encourage schools to educate children and young people on the issues surrounding body piercing, with particular reference to the risk of infection. | | (244111) | 133
| Meg Munn (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children who were subject of serious case reviews died from ingesting methadone in each of the last three years. | | (244118) | 134
| Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what level of funding he has made available for children's centres in Loughborough in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. | | (244196) | 135
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243974) | 136
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment his Department has made of the recommendations of the report of the Thanet inquiry in respect of looked-after children and vulnerable young people being placed out-of-county by local authorities. | | (244252) | 137
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what rules apply to the out-of-county placement of vulnerable (a) adults and (b) children; what procedures are employed to monitor such placements; and how the costs of such placements are shared. | | (244268) | 138
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1821-3W, on children in care: coastal areas, if he will make it his policy to collect data on looked-after children by (a) ward and (b) lower super output area in the principal seaside towns of England. | | (244405) | 139
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1837-8W, on coastal areas, what matters his Department has placed on the agenda of the cross-departmental working group on seaside towns; and if he will make a statement. | | (244406) | 140
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what national challenge schools are in or near the principal seaside towns of England. | | (244451) | 141
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what criteria his Deparment employs to assess the effect of the education maintenance allowance; and what the performance was against such criteria in 2007-08. | | (244544) | 142
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what plans his Department has to alter the education maintenance allowance system following the introduction of requirements for 16 to 18 year olds to remain in education or training. | | (244546) | 143
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the effect on the economy of the introduction of education maintenance allowance; and if he will make a statement. | | (244549) | 144
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will consider assessing eligibility for education maintenance allowance on the basis of net rather than gross family income. | | (244550) | 145
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243579) | 146
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243723) | 147
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in each year since his Department's formation. | | (243737) | 148
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244398) | 149
| Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will bring forward the timetable for the rebuilding of Dartmouth Community College from 2011; and if he will make a statement. | | (243823) | 150
| Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps his Department takes to encourage increased awareness of diabetes among teachers and head teachers; and if he will make a statement. | | (244166) | 151
| Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what support is made available in schools for children (a) up to the age of 11 and (b) aged 11 to 16 years old who have diabetes; and if he will make a statement. | | (244167) | 152
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular regard to those recommendations concerning young people and adolescents; and if he will make a statement. | | (244012) | 153
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of children have a careers interview with an independent adviser before they leave school. | | (244440) | 154
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department has spent on the Connexions service in respect of information, advice and guidance on (a) health, (b) careers, (c) money, (d) relationships, (e) learning, (f) personal rights, (g) housing, (h) travel, (i) work and (j) free time in each year since 2001 for which figures are available. | | (244441) | 155
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many hits the Connexions website received in each of the last five years. | | (244442) | 156
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many people have sought individual advice from Connexions Direct via (a) an online adviser, (b) telephone and callback, (c) textphone, (d) text and (e) email in each of the last five years. | | (244444) | 157
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of students received lower A level grades than predicted in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. | | (244445) | 158
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when the Learning and Skills Council will announce its decisions on a further education college in Sittingbourne. | | (243209) | 159
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when the Learning and Skills Council began work to identify a site for a further education college in Sittingbourne. | | (243210) | 160
N | Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, who is responsible for deciding whether to establish a further education college in Sittingbourne. | | (243211) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 161
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what estimate he has made of the number of inward migrants to the UK (a) from other EU member states and (b) from non-EU member states intending to stay for 12 months or more who cited work-related purposes as the main reason for migration in each of the last four quarters for which figures are available. | | (243965) | 162
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many and what proportion of people aged over 50 years old were unemployed in (a) each year since 1997 and (b) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available. | | (244313) | 163
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many and what proportion of people aged 16 to 24 were unemployed in (a) each year since 1997 and (b) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available. | | (244314) | 164
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many and what proportion of (a) UK nationals, (b) UK-born people, (c) foreign nationals, (d) non-UK EU nationals, (e) EU A8 nationals and (f) non-EU nationals of working age in the UK were in employment in (i) each year since 1997 and (ii) each of the last eight quarters for which figures are available. | | (244377) | 165
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 408W, on immigration, what the level is of net immigration at which the population of the UK would remain below 70 million on unchanged assumptions about birth rates, mortality and emigration levels and on the basis of the most recent population projections. | | (243465) | 166
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in (a) the UK and (b) Portsmouth in the last 10 years. | | (244508) | 167
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what guidance he has issued to Departments on the minimum length of consultations outside an election period; and if he will make a statement. | | (243557) | 168
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much was spent by the Prime Minister's Office on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244353) | 169
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244362) | 170
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what recent estimate he has made of the number of Australian nationals who were born in the UK. | | (244048) | 171
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what recent estimate he has made of the number of UK nationals who were born in Australia. | | (244049) | 172
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many and what proportion of all deaths in each region were from circulation diseases in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (244214) | 173
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the productivity level per worker was in each region in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (244215) | 174
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243580) | 175
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243722) | 176
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243746) | 177
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in the Prime Minister's Office who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244380) | 178
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244018) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 179
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 March 2008, Official Report, columns 20-21WS, on town and country planning, what progress the Government has made in implementing permitted development rights for air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines. | | (244255) | 180
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she plans to bring forward delegated legislation to allow air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines into the permitted development system. | | (244487) | 181
N | Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects to make an announcement on proposals to allow businesses facing backdated business rates bills more time to pay. | | (243989) | 182
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people her Department is employing specifically to deal with representations on the South West Regional Spatial Strategy; and if she will make a statement. | | (243595) | 183
| Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many applicants are registered on social housing waiting lists in each London borough. | | (243602) | 184
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her most recent assessment is of the impact of net migration on housing demand in England over (a) the next 20 years and (b) periods beyond 20 years; and when she next expects to revise those assessments. | | (244299) | 185
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much housing and planning delivery grant has been allocated to the London Borough of (a) Waltham Forest and (b) Redbridge for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10. | | (244290) | 186
N | Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to assist low income homeowners of state pension age to carry out home maintenance and renewal works. | | (243940) | 187
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many incidents of spillage and leakage other than those associated with road traffic accidents were attended by fire and rescue services in each year since 1994. | | (244060) | 188
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on the size and number of allotments provided by local authorities. | | (243583) | 189
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects the Boundary Commission to report on the issue of unitary status for Norfolk and its councils. | | (243913) | 190
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will respond to the Office of Fair Trading's report on homebuilding in the UK; what assessment she has made of the extent to which homebuilders have faults in properties they have constructed; and if she will make a statement. | | (244486) | 191
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that boilers (a) are being fitted to the specifications of building regulations and (b) checked regularly to prevent deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. | | (244511) | 192
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will consider bringing forward legislative proposals to make the installation of carbon monoxide alarms a legal requirement (a) in publicly-owned housing and (b) in the construction of all new homes. | | (244517) | 193
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what measures are in place to ensure that buyers of new homes do not face unforeseen construction faults. | | (244518) | 194
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new homes have been built in each constituency in England in each year since 1997. | | (244527) | 195
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the official engagements were of (a) the Minister for London, (b) the Minister for Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) the Minister for the South East in their roles as regional ministers from 1 November to 30 November 2008. | | (243473) | 196
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if her Department will encourage Newcastle City Council to bring forward development briefs for retail developments in Newcastle upon Tyne as a way of stimulating local economic activity within sustainable communities in the city. | | (244127) | 197
N | John Howell (Henley): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will take steps to remove the copyright restrictions imposed by Ordnance Survey on the re-use of its data. | | (243067) | 198
| Tom Levitt (High Peak): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make the fitting of a working carbon monoxide alarm a condition of a home information pack where a gas supply is present. | | (244106) | 199
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent representations she has received on the provision of flood response equipment to firefighters. | | (243848) | 200
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice her Department provides to local authorities who receive repeat planning applications which have already been rejected by the planning inspectorate. | | (243880) | 201
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the Pitt review on a statutory obligation for fire services to respond to flooding incidents. | | (243881) | 202
| Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of any additional resources required by local authorities in England as a result of the proposed extra responsibilities in relation to education and training for 16 to 18 year olds, as set out in the Raising Expectations White Paper; and if she will make a statement. | | (244173) | 203
| Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to allocate any surplus in the housing revenue account subsidy system in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11 to housing for council tenants. | | (243888) | 204
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was spent by her Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244360) | 205
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance is given to local authorities on the recovery of council tax arrears and procedures to be followed by private companies contracted to recover them; and when this guidance will next be reviewed. | | (244148) | 206
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities may take steps to recover council tax arrears without using private companies. | | (244149) | 207
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether local authorities may use county courts to recover council tax arrears. | | (244150) | 208
| Meg Munn (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have adopted the Local Government Act 2003 byelaws in respect of cosmetic body piercing. | | (244107) | 209
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what projects are being undertaken in each of the business improvement districts established to date. | | (243984) | 210
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations she has received from tenants' groups on the rights of tenants in circumstances where the property they occupy is being purchased via a buy-to-let scheme and repossession proceedings are taking place; and if she will make a statement. | | (244152) | 211
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on the circumstances under which they may refuse business rates relief under section 49 of the Local Government Finance Act 1988 to voluntary groups; and if she will make a statement. | | (244220) | 212
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 10 December 2008, Official Report, columns 136-8W, on fires: death, if she will make it her policy to collect data by type of tenure. | | (244273) | 213
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department has taken on the Communities and Local Government Committee's recommendation in its Second Report of Session 2006-07, on coastal towns, HC 351, that the Government needs to take action to reduce the number of out-of-area placements and to ensure that when children are placed out of their local area there is improved communication between authorities. | | (244282) | 214
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times the cross-departmental working group on coastal towns has met since February 2008; where each meeting was held; who attended each meeting; and what the outcomes of each meeting were. | | (244402) | 215
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1277W, on regeneration: coastal areas, if she will make it her policy to collect centrally information on the work of each regional improvement and efficiency partnership in respect of seaside towns. | | (244407) | 216
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which (a) organisations and (b) individuals her officials met during the consultation on the Government's Regeneration Framework document on seaside towns. | | (244408) | 217
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons information on the number of (a) permanent caravans, (b) holiday caravans and (c) houses of multiple occupation in the catchment area of each prinicipal seaside town in England is not held or available centrally. | | (244409) | 218
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1264W, on compulsory purchase: coastal areas, for what reasons the information requested is not held centrally. | | (244417) | 219
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1274W, on multiple occupation, if she will publish a list of all those who have given evidence to the Building Research Establishment review of houses in multiple occupation legislation. | | (244418) | 220
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1274W, on multiple occupation: coastal areas, for what reasons information on the take-up of mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation licences in seaside towns is not available centrally. | | (244419) | 221
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 47W, on multiple occupation: licensing, for what reasons 14 per cent. of local authorities are not using a range of tools to identify houses in multiple occupation being operated illegally without a licence. | | (244429) | 222
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 30 January 2008, Official Report, column 446W, on multiple occupation: licensing, if she will place in the Library a copy of each piece of written guidance on best practice produced by the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services in support of mandatory licensing of houses in multiple occupation. | | (244433) | 223
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2008, Official Report, column 129W, on multiple ocupation: coastal areas, for what reasons the information requested is not held centrally. | | (244439) | 224
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 17 November 2008, Official Report, column 129W, on multiple occupation: coastal areas, if she will make it her policy to (a) collect and (b) hold centrally information on houses of multiple occupation in seaside towns. | | (244449) | 225
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many special advisers were employed in her Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what her Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243578) | 226
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, who the members are of the stakeholder panel. | | (243719) | 227
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, columns 24-26WS, on home buying and selling, what the evidential basis was on which the decision to end first day marketing on 6 April 2009 was made. | | (243720) | 228
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent by her Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243724) | 229
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new build properties were built in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what amount of central grant contribution was made (a) towards each new build unit and (b) across the programme. | | (243749) | 230
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many properties were refurbished in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what the average cost of refurbishment was (a) in each Pathfinder area and (b) across the programme. | | (243750) | 231
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many properties were demolished in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder area in 2007-08; and what the average cost of demolition was (a) in each Pathfinder area and (b) across the programme. | | (243751) | 232
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many properties were acquired in each Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder in 2007-08; and what the average cost of acquisition was (a) in each Pathfinder and (b) across the programme. | | (243752) | 233
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average house price for properties purchased by a first-time buyer in England was on the latest date for which figures are available. | | (243753) | 234
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether an impact assessment has been prepared for the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme. | | (243754) | 235
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many households will be assisted each year as part of the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme. | | (243755) | 236
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes are being made to the building targets in the Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder areas as a result of the economic downturn. | | (243756) | 237
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the level of potential duplication between property information questionnaires and questions asked later in the conveyancing process. | | (243757) | 238
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Explanatory Memorandum for the Home Information Pack (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2008, for what reasons her Department is not producing a consolidated version of the amended home information pack regulations. | | (243758) | 239
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice her Department has given to local authorities on enforcement of the home information pack regulations since they were implemented. | | (243759) | 240
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243760) | 241
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, what the penalties are for a seller giving misleading or incorrect information on a property information questionnaire in a home information pack. | | (243857) | 242
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, what guidance has been given to local authority trading standards on enforcement and tackling non-compliance. | | (243858) | 243
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, in what ways from April 2009 estate agents will be able to advise buyers about properties they expect to be coming onto the market soon which do not have a completed home information pack. | | (243859) | 244
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, who the members of the working group convened by the Land Registry are; what its terms of reference are; and when it will be required to report. | | (243860) | 245
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, who produced the survey on the 16,000 transactions; and if she will place a full copy of the survey research in the Library. | | (243861) | 246
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, who the members of the working group on home condition reports will be; what its terms of reference are; and when it will be required to report. | | (243862) | 247
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 24WS, on home buying and selling, what obligation owners will have to mention in the home information pack that their home is subject to flood risk; and whether sellers will have the right to omit this information. | | (243863) | 248
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Castle Point on councillor voting on planning matters. | | (243906) | 249
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in her Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244397) | 250
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if she will make a statement. | | (244013) | 251
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were recorded as (a) homeless and (b) rough sleepers in the Reading Borough Council area during the month of December in each of the last 10 years. | | (244435) | 252
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many rough sleepers there were in the Reading Borough Council area in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (244436) | 253
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was allocated to Reading Borough Council for tackling homelessness in each of the last 10 years; and what information her Department holds on how that funding has been spent. | | (244437) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 254
| Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide support to the Football Association for its Respect campaign; and if he will make a statement. | | (244104) | 255
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps the Government has taken to improve community sport facilities in Coventry. | | (242638) | 256
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent steps the Government has taken to promote cultural activities in Coventry. | | (242639) | 257
| Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the number of field archaeologists made redundant in 2008; and what assessment he has made of the effects of such redundancies on the implementation of planning guidance. | | (243552) | 258
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244342) | 259
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243577) | 260
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243725) | 261
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243743) | 262
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received on (a) the UK's obligations arising from membership of the International Telecommunication Union and (b) the provisions of its regulations relating to harmful radio interference; and if he will make a statement. | | (242440) | 263
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244396) | 264
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244014) | 265
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration he has given to consulting the Swimming Teachers' Association on future work and policy initiatives concerning swimming. | | (243961) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 266
N | Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received on commissioning research into the potential health effects on children and grandchildren of nuclear test veterans of their forebearers' exposure to radiation during tests; and if he will make a statement. | | (243820) | 267
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made in addressing the issues identified in the Millen Report. | | (243964) | 268
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many Chinook helicopters the RAF possesses; and how many of these are fully serviceable. | | (243669) | 269
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what average length of time a (a) Royal Marine Officer and (b) Royal Marine spent away from home over the latest 30 month period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (243670) | 270
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) officers and (b) other ranks in (i) the Army, (ii) the Royal Air Force and (iii) the Royal Navy have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. | | (244493) | 271
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Lewes, 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 777W, on AWE Aldermaston, if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary safety report for the proposed uranium handling facility at AWE Aldermaston which has been provided to the Health and Safety Executive. | | (244285) | 272
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his estimates are of the capital costs for the proposed (a) small components manufacturing, (b) conventional manufacturing rationalisation, (c) high explosives fabrication and (d) uranium handling facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment. | | (244304) | 273
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Blaneau Gwent of 29 October 2008, Official Report, column 1029W, when he expects the commercial discussions between his Department and AWE plc to conclude. | | (244305) | 274
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 10 November 2008, Official Report, column 777W, on AWE Aldermaston, whether his Department is considering financing any elements of the programme to replace the Trident nuclear warhead through private finance initiatives. | | (244306) | 275
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to support the Peace Operations Training Centre in Sarajevo after responsibility for running the centre has been transferred to the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities. | | (244534) | 276
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) adopting and (b) maintaining annually the (i) Nimrod MRA4 platform and (ii) American Rivet Joint for his Department's purposes. | | (244033) | 277
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many jobs would be (a) created and (b) maintained as a result of ordering the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft. | | (244034) | 278
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the service life of the (a) Nimrod MRA4 and (b) American Rivet Joint aircraft; and if he will make a statement. | | (244035) | 279
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what range of attack weapons the (a) Nimrod MRA4 and (b) American Rivet Joint aircraft can carry. | | (244036) | 280
| Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on Project Bellringer; and if he will make a statement. | | (243558) | 281
N | Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress has been made on negotiations with the government of Iraq on the stationing of British forces in the country after 31 December 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (243259) | 282
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244343) | 283
| Mr Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects construction of the two new aircraft carriers to commence. | | (244194) | 284
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what area in square metres is occupied by each Defence Minister's (a) personnel and (b) private office in (i) any building used by his Department and (ii) his Department's main building. | | [R] (243488) | 285
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, under what circumstances the cost of pirates arrested by British units off Somalia may be delivered to (a) countries where attached vessels are registered, (b) countries where capital punishment is possible, (c) the UK, (d) jurisdictions within the EU, (e) the UN and (f) a third party. | | (243699) | 286
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what bonus was awarded to the Permanent Under-Secretary of his Department during the financial year 2007-08. | | (243700) | 287
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243973) | 288
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which wildlife conservation projects on Ministry of Defence sites in (a) the UK, (b) British territories overseas and (c) other countries armed forces personnel have a role in maintaining. | | (244052) | 289
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243576) | 290
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243744) | 291
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243895) | 292
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate he has made of the number of people who were working on EU military projects in each of the last five years; and how many such people were British. | | (243907) | 293
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244395) | 294
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244015) | 295
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many research contracts his Department placed with UK universities and other academic research centres in each of the last 10 years; and what the monetary value of each was. | | (244446) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 296
| Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average cost per tonne equivalent was of electricity imported via the interconnector with France in 2007. | | (244121) | 297
| Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average cost per tonne equivalent of imported (a) oil, (b) gas, (c) liquid gas and (d) shale oil and tar sands was in 2007. | | (244122) | 298
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, for what reasons he did not place hard copies of the Climate Change Committee's report, Building a Low-Carbon Economy: The UK's Contribution to Climate Change, in the Vote Office; and how many copies of the report have been downloaded from the internet. | | (243847) | 299
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the monetary value is of the contract signed between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the Nuclear Management Partners for the management of Sellafield; for what period the contract will last; what options for its extension are contained in the contract; and what provision there is in the contract for the foreign corporate partners to repatriate any profits to the US and France respectively. | | (244227) | 300
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the future of the Cirrus Array offshore wind farm following the withdrawal of Royal Dutch Shell from the consortium funding the development. | | (244448) | 301
| Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will review his Department's policy on the construction of new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement. | | (244161) | 302
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his Department is contributing (a) resources and (b) personnel to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Climate Change and Energy Programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (243943) | 303
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what his Department's budget is for financial years (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (243944) | 304
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what role his Department will have in the promotion of UK climate change and energy objectives overseas; and if he will make a statement. | | (243946) | 305
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms since it was established. | | (244344) | 306
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers has been since its inception. | | (243575) | 307
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment since the formation of his Department. | | (243730) | 308
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising since its inception. | | (243896) | 309
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, by whom Warm Front contractors serving the Essex area are approved; and what the average amount charged to individual clients by each contractor as an additional payment for the work done under the scheme is. | | (243776) | 310
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when he expects works under the (a) Warm Front and (b) over seventies scheme in Essex to restart; and if he will make a statement. | | (243813) | 311
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many applications for Warm Front grants in Essex are awaiting determination; and if he will make a statement. | | (243814) | 312
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many people were required to make contributions towards the cost of work carried out under the Warm Front scheme in Essex in each of the last five years; and what the average contribution was. | | (243816) | 313
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the waiting time for emergency work to be carried out under the Warm Front scheme is; and if he will make a statement. | | (243817) | 314
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244394) | 315
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244019) | 316
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and (b) EDF on (i) the timing of the NDA's announcement of the sale of NDA land for new nuclear builds and (ii) the likely effect of this sale and its timing on the price of (A) the Government's stake in British Energy and (B) shares in British Energy. | | (243588) | 317
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will make an assessment of the work of the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Initiative and its potential to contribute to the targets for carbon dioxide emissions set by his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (243804) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 318
| Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to combat the spread of Phytophthora ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae. | | (244120) | 319
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the possible effects of the use of wireless technology on bee populations. | | (243949) | 320
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of UK poultry exports of the UK's avian influenza-free status; and if he will make a statement. | | (243686) | 321
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the use of the single farm payment to finance flood mitigation measures. | | (243689) | 322
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what research his Department is conducting on the effect on bat populations of onshore wind turbines; how much funding has been provided for such research; and if he will make a statement. | | (243690) | 323
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to bring forward proposals to update the provisions of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1996. | | (243696) | 324
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of Sir Don Curry's report on the future of council-owned farms. | | (244251) | 325
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have smallholdings; what the area is of each such smallholding; and what assessment he has made of each local authority's plans for its smallholdings. | | (244257) | 326
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, which local authorities have disposed of smallholdings in each year since 1980; and on what date each such smallholding was disposed of. | | (244258) | 327
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his policy is on the use of (a) genetically-modified soya and (b) farm animals fed on genetically-modified soya for human consumption. | | (244259) | 328
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what precautionary steps his Department has taken to prevent the spread of BTV8 and BTV1 from imported live stock to domestic sheep and cattle in the UK. | | (243827) | 329
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding the Rural Development Programme has committed to projects in the North West in the last 12 months. | | (243962) | 330
N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 16 January 2007, Official Report, columns 968-9W, on the Animal Welfare Act 2006, when he expects the secondary legislation referred will be introduced. | | (243466) | 331
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to allow landowners to take fly-tipped waste to local authority waste management facilities; and if he will make a statement. | | (243073) | 332
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to help landowners deal with fly-tipped waste on private land. | | (243074) | 333
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to give (a) local authorities and (b) the Environment Agency an increased role in dealing with fly-tipped waste on private land. | | (243075) | 334
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to investigate and help prevent instances of localised flooding, with particular reference to Newcastle upon Tyne. | | (244125) | 335
| Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to include measures to prohibit the shooting of seals in the Marine and Coastal Access Bill. | | (244159) | 336
| Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what proposals his Department plans to put forward at the next European Fisheries Council on measures to protect sharks and other endangered or threatened species from the impact of over-fishing. | | (244198) | 337
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations he has received calling for the introduction of incentives for the full recovery of hazardous waste oil; and if he will make a statement. | | (243908) | 338
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason he has decided to review the Consumer Council for Water. | | (244108) | 339
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what role the Consumer Council for Water has in the regular Ofwat review of charges. | | (244109) | 340
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure developers and contractors in the housebuilding industry consider the whole-life costs in the production process of housing; and whether he plans to introduce producer responsibililty requirements for (a) construction industry and (b) housebuilding industry products. | | (244110) | 341
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 495, on the Pre-Budget Report, how much of the £3 billion of capital spending brought forward will be spent on flood defences; when he expects the funding to be available; what type of projects it will be spent on; whether any of the funding had been previously announced; and if he will make a statement. | | (244162) | 342
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 December 2008, Official Report, column 122W, on floods: housing, how many of the properties estimated to be at risk of flooding in each year are in each region. | | (244509) | 343
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244345) | 344
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the costs of flood protection and alterations to sewage disposal facilities required as a result of the construction of (a) Cardiff-Weston barrage and (b) a Shoots barrage. | | (244501) | 345
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) Network Rail and (b) the Highways Agency on rabbit infestation on land owned or controlled by each; and if he will make a statement. | | (244411) | 346
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the success rate of bluetongue vaccination in Gloucestershire was; how many strains of bluetongue virus have been identified; what evidence there is on the origin of each strain; and if he will make a statement. | | (244412) | 347
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review the cross-compliance rules on permission for farmers to travel on wet land, with particular reference to recent weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. | | (244413) | 348
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will review his policy on nitrate zones in and around Gloucestershire; if he will allow additional time for appeals; what steps his Department has taken to inform farmers of the creation of new nitrate zones; and if he will make a statement. | | (244414) | 349
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many cattle have been slaughtered following tuberculosis infection in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by county; what progress his Department's TB eradication group has made; and if he will make a statement. | | (244415) | 350
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether there is a correlation between the numbers of reported cases of bovine tuberculosis in cattle and the areas affected by floods in 2007. | | (244513) | 351
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost to (a) farmers and (b) the public purse of electronic identification of sheep is for its first year of operation; and if he will make a statement. | | (244514) | 352
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the likely effects of electronic indentification of sheep on (a) hill farmers' incomes and (b) management of upland ecosystems; and if he will make a statement. | | (244515) | 353
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of changes in (a) nitrogen prices and (b) levels of nitrogen supply on food production; and if he will make a statement. | | (244516) | 354
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to tackle problems arising from dangerous dogs in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (244051) | 355
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken in conjunction with other countries on the monitoring and implementation of international conservation projects in the last six months. | | (244055) | 356
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to improve its arrangements for co-ordination with other Government departments of policy affecting coastal towns in the last two years. | | (244371) | 357
| Martin Salter (Reading West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what consideration he has given to how the terms of the EU Habitats Directive could be met with respect to fish stocks if a Severn barrage were to be constructed. | | (244317) | 358
| Martin Salter (Reading West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with angling and fishing organisations on the impact of a Severn barrage on fish stocks in the Severn estuary and associated waters. | | (244318) | 359
| Martin Salter (Reading West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what input his Department has had to the Government's Severn Tidal Power Feasibility study. | | (244319) | 360
| Martin Salter (Reading West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what species of fish inhabit the Severn Estuary; and which are listed as endangered. | | (244320) | 361
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243574) | 362
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243761) | 363
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243897) | 364
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244393) | 365
| Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that water companies consider the need for climate change adaptation in their business plans; and if he will make a statement. | | (244222) | 366
| Mr Charles Walker (Broxbourne): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that water companies consider in their business plans the objectives of (a) reducing per capita consumption of water and (b) increasing water efficiency; and if he will make a statement. | | (244223) | 367
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department provides compensation to farmers whose cattle have been destroyed by his Department's veterinary surgeons following the discovery of bluetongue. | | (244535) | 368
| Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department provides compensation to owners of horses infected with African horse sickness which are destroyed by his Department's veterinary surgeons to prevent further infection. | | (244536) | 369
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what account his Department will take of the recommendations from the Farm Animal Welfare Council on the welfare of farmed game birds in its preparation of a code of practice on the rearing and breeding of game birds. | | (244155) | 370
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward proposals to include farmed game birds under the protection offered by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. | | (244164) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 371
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has persuaded the Chinese government to take in respect of Tibet since his announcement on the change of position on the status of Tibet. | | (243953) | 372
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the outcomes of the eighth round of talks between the representatives of the Chinese government and the Tibetan government-in-exile; and if he will make a statement. | | (243954) | 373
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department has made against its policy objectives regarding Tibet since 1 January 2008; what specific outcomes have resulted from steps taken by his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (243955) | 374
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what date has been set for the next round of the UK-China human rights dialogue. | | (243956) | 375
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what human rights assessment the Government makes before granting military aid to a foreign government. | | (244525) | 376
| Richard Burden (Birmingham, Northfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Gambian authorities on the case of David and Fiona Fulton; and if he will make a statement. | | (244524) | 377
| Ms Katy Clark (North Ayrshire and Arran): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what guidance his Department has issued to firms about trade with Morocco where such trade draws upon the resources of the Non Self-Governing Territory of Western Sahara. | | (244030) | 378
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which countries' claims to Arctic waters are disputed by (a) the UK and (b) other countries. | | (244489) | 379
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Zimbabwe. | | (243680) | 380
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of relations between India and Pakistan following events in Mumbai. | | (243681) | 381
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Thailand. | | (243682) | 382
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment the Government has made of the political situation in Myanmar. | | (243683) | 383
N | Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to prevent illegal drugs reaching the UK from abroad. | | (243684) | 384
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the statement by the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the right hon. Member for Derby South, of 14 March 2007, Official Report, column 301, in response to the hon. Member for Ilford South, what subsequent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) India and (b) Pakistan on their becoming signatories to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty; and what response he received. | | (244117) | 385
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his remarks on a durable funding mechanism for carbon capture and storage (CCS) of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 416, if he will (a) place in the Library a copy of the background papers supporting this initiative and (b) place in the Library and publish on the appropriate departmental website a copy of the full proposals for the CCS funding mechanism once it has been considered at the European Council meeting to which he made reference. | | (244119) | 386
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1214W, on Western Sahara: politics and government, whether he has discussed with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights the Government's position on human rights monitoring in the Western Sahara. | | (244262) | 387
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations on Morocco's continued occupation of Western Sahara to the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK. | | (244263) | 388
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has discussed with his Moroccan counterpart the delay in appointing a new personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara. | | (244264) | 389
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British citizens have died while on holiday overseas in each of the last five years; and how many died in each EU member state in each such year. | | (243773) | 390
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has received from UK organisations on the provision of health care for British citizens who are taken ill while on holiday overseas. | | (243774) | 391
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department has put in place to support the families of those whose relatives (a) are taken ill and (b) die while on holiday overseas. | | (243775) | 392
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assist British nationals who are in violent forced marriages in Pakistan. | | (243673) | 393
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 23 June 2008, Official Report, column 75W, on departmental public expenditure, what his Department's forecast (a) net euro and (b) net US dollar exposure for the financial years (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09 was; and what revisions were made to those forecasts in light of foreign exchange movements. | | (243846) | 394
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterpart on Ethiopia's announcement that it will withdraw its troops from Somalia by 31 December 2008. | | (243874) | 395
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the impact of the decision by Ethiopia to withdraw its troops from Somalia on (a) the security situation in Somalia and (b) the continued operations of African Union forces in Somalia. | | (243875) | 396
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what financial assistance the Government has provided for the deployment of the African Union force in Somalia in the (a) last and (b) current financial year; and if he will make a statement. | | (243876) | 397
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made in deploying a police component to the African Union force in Somalia; and if he will make a statement. | | (243877) | 398
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment has been made of foreign exchange movements on subscriptions to international organisations paid through his Department's budget. | | (243941) | 399
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost to his Department was of subscriptions to international organisations in 2007-08; what the cost was with regard to each international institution; and what the total cost is projected to be in 2008-09. | | (243942) | 400
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 2049W, on exchange rates, which posts overseas reported a decline in the purchasing power of their local budget; and what the value in UK sterling was of the total reported decline. | | (243945) | 401
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage foreign direct investment in Bosnia and Herzegovina. | | (244537) | 402
| Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on visits by its staff to Brussels in 2007-08; and how many such visits were made. | | (244057) | 403
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 November 2008, Official Report, column 883W, on Iraq: weapons, what reports he has received from the International Atomic Energy Agency of its discussions with the orginators of the intelligence. | | (244151) | 404
N | Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who will represent the United Kingdom at the meeting called by the French Foreign Minister in Paris on 14 December 2008 to discuss Afghanistan. | | (243258) | 405
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress has been made towards free and fair elections in Bangladesh; and if he will make a statement. | | (243878) | 406
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assistance his Department is providing to Bangladesh to ensure that the elections scheduled for 29 December 2008 are free and fair. | | (243879) | 407
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244346) | 408
| 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 India on reported violence against Christians in Orissa; and if he will make a statement. | | (244379) | 409
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what funding the Isle of Man has received from the European Union in each of the last five years. | | (244050) | 410
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with Faroese representatives on the recent slaughter of whales in the Faroe Islands; and if he will make a statement. | | (244053) | 411
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, columns 1272-3W, on ambassadors (education), where his Department's assessment development centres are located. | | (244248) | 412
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria internal selection boards in his Department apply to the selection of heads of mission. | | (244253) | 413
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who the members of the internal selection board for appointing heads of mission for his Department are; in what region of the UK each was born; what the (a) gender and (b) ethnic balance is of members of the board; and whether any have publicly declared their sexual orientation. | | (244254) | 414
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 843W, on the Diplomatic Service, what progress his Department has made towards its commitment in recruiting a talented and diverse workforce which reflects the society it serves at each pay band level. | | (244270) | 415
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in which towns his Department participated in (a) careers fairs and (b) community business events in order to extend the diversity among its recruits. | | (244271) | 416
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many people participated in his Department's work placement scheme; in which regions they resided; what proportion attended (a) state and (b) independent schools; and what proportion attended (i) Oxford and Cambridge and (ii) other universities in each of the last 10 years. | | (244272) | 417
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1763W, on the Diplomatic Service: public appointments, what outreach activities have been undertaken in the last 12 months. | | (244447) | 418
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for people appointed to senior posts in his Department on an ad hoc basis by selection boards appointed for the purpose in the last 12 months, how many went to (a) private school, (b) state school, (c) Oxford or Cambridge University and (d) other university. | | (244450) | 419
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports his Department has received on the treatment of international non-governmental organisations in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. | | (243831) | 420
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the alleged use of cluster bombs by the government of Sri Lanka in the Vanni region; and if he will make a statement. | | (243832) | 421
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in the Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. | | (243833) | 422
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243573) | 423
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243736) | 424
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243898) | 425
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244392) | 426
| Dr Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions the UK's intelligence agencies have sought assurances from their Israeli counterparts on their humane treatment of detainees in the last five years. | | (244378) | 427
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244021) | 428
N | Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1772W, whether the individuals to whom British officials spoke had access to a lawyer; whether any of them alleged mistreatment during their discussions with British officials; and whether any of them had been transferred to Ethiopia from Kenya or Somalia. | | (243469) | 429
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 6 October 2008, Official Report, column 240, on Western Sahara: politics and government, what progress has been made by the UN in its negotiations with the Moroccan government on compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1813. | | (243806) | 430
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Morocco's compliance with UN Security Council resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination have been raised in EU-Morocco discussions on granting advanced status to Morocco. | | (244338) | 431
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his Moroccan counterpart the award of the 25th Annual Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Award to Aminatou Haidar. | | (244365) | 432
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has discussed with his Moroccan counterpart the movement of Moroccan settlers to occupied Western Sahara and the application of the Geneva Convention to such settlements; and if he will make a statement. | | (244367) | 433
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the killing of two Saharawi students on 1 December 2008; and what action the ambassador in Rabat has taken. | | (244369) | 434
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the compliance of Morocco with UN Security Council resolutions calling for a referendum on self-determination was raised with Morocco in the recent meeting of the EU-Morocco sub-committee on human rights, democracy and governance. | | (244551) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 435
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the chairman of the Health Protection Agency on the possible health implications of the use of wireless technology. | | (243950) | 436
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the potential effects on health of the use of wireless technology. | | (243951) | 437
| Roger Berry (Kingswood): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to meet the Coalition on Charging to discuss its report Charging into Poverty as part of his formulation of policy on charging for social care. | | (244101) | 438
N | Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to build new community hospitals in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) England in the next five years. | | (243864) | 439
| Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take in response to the finding in the Healthcare Commission's report State of Healthcare 2008 that 33 per cent. of NHS staff report that they are stressed at work. | | (244225) | 440
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 68W, on continuing care: standards, how many people were in receipt of continuing care in (a) England, (b) each strategic health authority area and (c) each primary care trust area in each (i) quarter and (ii) year since 1998. | | (243889) | 441
| Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of exception reporting in each category of reason there were in each primary care trust area in each of the last three years for which figures are available. | | (244156) | 442
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent per head of population by each primary care trust in 2007-08, ranked from the highest to lowest. | | (243963) | 443
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to healthcare trusts on the release of medical records to representatives of deceased people. | | (243935) | 444
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent considerations his Department has given to measures to tackle tuberculosis infection in the UK. | | (244283) | 445
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on provision of health care for British citizens who are taken ill while on holiday. | | (243772) | 446
| Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the Zuckerman report, with particular reference to its analysis of the potential links between organophosphate sheep dips and long-term health problems. | | (244153) | 447
| Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will commission research on the potential for causal correlation between incidence of cancer and proximity to nuclear power stations. | | (244154) | 448
| Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to issue guidance on any known effects on humans of prolonged residence in proximity to power stations to families who live near such installations; and if he will make a statement. | | (244213) | 449
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with Chemie Grunethal on obtaining compensation for British victims of thalidomide. | | (243600) | 450
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children between the ages of (a) five and seven, (b) eight and 12 and (c) 13 and 16 years in (i) North Wiltshire and (ii) London have type 1 diabetes. | | (243779) | 451
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent by his Department in each of the last five years on research into type 1 diabetes. | | (243780) | 452
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the change in real terms was in (a) nurses' and (b) NHS ancillary staff pay in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. | | (243781) | 453
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to (a) raise awareness of and (b) prevent further deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. | | (244510) | 454
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many respite care beds there are for people with dementia in each primary care trust area in England. | | (244528) | 455
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people with dementia were waiting for respite care in each (a) primary care trust and (b) local authority area on 1 April 2008; and how many of these had been waiting (i) up to three months, (ii) between three and six months, (iii) between six and nine months and (iv) between nine and 12 months. | | (244529) | 456
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the NHS will demonstrate progress in planning and developing the levels of service quality described in the National Service Framework for Long-term Neurological Conditions following the end of the planning period; how this demonstration of progress will be published; and what further consultation there will be on progress on the delivery of key national service frameworks objectives. | | (243553) | 457
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the effect on (a) consumers and (b) dispensers of the decision to delay the abolition of the Hearing Aid Council (HAC) until 31 March 2010; and whether HAC will be given additional powers to protect consumers during the period before the switch of responsibilities from it to the Health Professions Council. | | (243840) | 458
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department plans to extend membership of NHS foundation hospital trusts' boards to members of the public; and whether a timescale has been produced for this policy. | | (244177) | 459
N | Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the future of dispensing GP practices in (a) Kettering constituency, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England. | | (243865) | 460
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to community nurses on the co-ordination of their work with people employed by social services departments. | | (244519) | 461
N | Mark Hunter (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the number of children under the age of 16 years who are clinically obese in (a) England, (b) the North West, (c) the Stockport Primary Care Trust area and (d) Cheadle constituency. | | (243068) | 462
N | Mark Hunter (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase the capacity of mental healthcare services during a period of increasing unemployment. | | (243069) | 463
N | Mark Hunter (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the effects on demand for mental health care services as a result of increasing rates of unemployment. | | (243070) | 464
N | Mark Hunter (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to reduce the prevalence of mental illness related to redundancy or fear of redundancy. | | (243071) | 465
N | Mark Hunter (Cheadle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children under the age of 16 have (a) type 1 and (b) type 2 diabetes in (i) England, (ii) the North West, (iii) the Stockport Primary Care Trust area and (iv) Cheadle constituency. | | (243072) | 466
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many specialist stroke nurses were employed by the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement. | | (244130) | 467
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were treated for stroke-related conditions in the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and its predecessor trust in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (244131) | 468
| Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of ambulances despatched responded within eight minutes of an emergency call in the East of England in each month since May 2005; and if he will make a statement. | | (244205) | 469
| Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the role of health visitors in safeguarding children. | | (244521) | 470
| Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many health visitors (a) were recruited, (b) retired from work and (c) finished work for a reason other than retirement in the last year for which information is available. | | (244522) | 471
| Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the contribution that health visitors make towards safeguarding children. | | (244523) | 472
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 30WS, on the NHS Operating Framework, what weighting is given to age in each year's allocations to primary care trusts. | | (243769) | 473
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 30WS, on the NHS Operating Framework, if he will provide a breakdown by financial year of the £800 million drawdown of the NHS surplus; and by what mechanism the drawdown will take place. | | (243770) | 474
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the size of the (a) high risk, (b) significant risk, (c) moderate risk and (d) low risk maintenance backlog was in each NHS trust in England in each year since 1997-98. | | (243834) | 475
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what (a) plans and (b) targets his Department has on reducing the maintenance backlog in the NHS; and how much is planned to be spent on reducing the backlog in the next three years. | | (243835) | 476
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, for what reasons primary care trusts are not receiving an increase in their resource budgets equivalent to the increases in his Department's resource budgets for (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. | | (243836) | 477
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's administrative organogram. | | (243837) | 478
| Mr Andrew Lansley (South Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of his Department's revenue budget has been allocated to primary care trusts for each year from 1996-97 to 2010-11. | | (243838) | 479
| Anne Milton (Guildford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of people taken into police custody were transferred into the care of mental health services in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (244192) | 480
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244347) | 481
| Meg Munn (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage local authorities to adopt the Local Government Act 2003 byelaws for cosmetic body piercing. | | (244112) | 482
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average length of waiting lists in each category for NHS patients in the East of England was in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005; and what the length of each list was at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (243982) | 483
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have ceased smoking following participation in NHS smoking cessation measures in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last three years. | | (243983) | 484
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of the number of neonatal nursing staff in (a) Gloucestershire and (b) England; whether he plans to provide funding to increase those numbers; and if he will make a statement. | | (244221) | 485
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 2055W, on coastal areas, what matters have been raised by his Department's representation on the cross-departmental working group; and at what level his Department is represented at the group's meetings. | | (244403) | 486
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 2066W, on departmental public expenditure, whether the weighted capitation formula for National Health Service allocations takes into account (a) transience of, (b) levels of alcohol and drug abuse in, (c) the number of elderly people in, (d) the number of households not meeting the decent housing threshhold in, (e) the number of people on incapacity benefit in and (f) the number of vulnerable children and adults in local populations. | | (244404) | 487
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1516W, on social services: coastal areas, if he will make it his policy centrally to collect data at (a) town and (b) ward level on out-of-county placements of vulnerable adults in the principal seaside towns of England and Wales. | | (244443) | 488
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243572) | 489
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department spent on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243714) | 490
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243738) | 491
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244391) | 492
| Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the financial allocation for dentistry is in financial year 2008-09 in each primary care trust area in Yorkshire and the Humber; and if he will make a statement. | | (244123) | 493
| Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children aged 16 years old and under have diabetes in England; and if he will make a statement. | | (244168) | 494
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular reference to the costs to the NHS of managing mental ill-health; and if he will make a statement. | | (244029) | 495
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much was allocated by his Department to each local authority in Staffordshire for the hosting of local involvement networks in the last 12 months. | | (244061) | 496
| Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent progress has been made in respect of patient representation in the health service in Stoke-on-Trent; and if he will make a statement. | | (244062) | 497
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Answer of 17th June 2008, Official Report, column 779, on cardio-vascular incidents, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the manufacturer of Vioxx fulfils its responsibilities to people in the UK whose health has been seriously affected after taking the drug; and if he will make a statement. | | (244046) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 498
N | John Barrett (Edinburgh West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make a statement on the progress of reviewing the right to live in the UK of Gurkhas who retired before 1997. | | (243126) | 499
N | Hugh Bayley (City of York): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration she has given to the direct election of members of police authorities; and if she will make a statement. | | (242982) | 500
N | Mr Richard Benyon (Newbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 2258W, on Hatton Cross Tribunals, when she plans to write to the hon. Member for Newbury; and if she will make a statement. | | (244010) | 501
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people claiming to be North Korean citizens have applied for asylum in each of the last five years. | | (243614) | 502
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many reports of causing or allowing the death of a child or vulnerable person contrary to section 5 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 were made to the police in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08. | | (243601) | 503
| Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what effect completion of promotion and event risk assessment forms under the Licensing Act 2003 has had on levels of violence at live performances. | | (243677) | 504
N | Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) families, (b) children under the age of 18 and (c) people over the age of 18 years were detained within Dungavel detention centre between 1 December and 31 December in each of the last five years. | | (241497) | 505
| Mr William Cash (Stone): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to make the Metropolitan Police's report on its investigation regarding the hon. Member for Ashford available to all hon. Members. | | (244099) | 506
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many complaints the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) received on the time taken to process applications for CRB clearance in (a) the last 12 months and (b) the last five years. | | (243592) | 507
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who had already obtained Criminal Records Bureau clearance were required to apply for a further clearance after changing jobs in each of the last five years. | | (243593) | 508
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedure is followed to transfer Criminal Records Bureau clearance when an employee who has obtained a clearance moves to another post. | | (243609) | 509
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessments she has made of the efficiency of the process of completing a Criminal Records Bureau check in the last five years. | | (243610) | 510
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average waiting time for a Criminal Records Bureau check to be completed is. | | (243611) | 511
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what change there has been in the average waiting time for a Criminal Records Bureau check to be completed was (a) in the last 12 months and (b) in the last five years. | | (243612) | 512
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of those who apply for Criminal Records Bureau clearance waited for more than (a) 28 days and (b) two months over the average time taken to process a check in the last 12 months. | | (243613) | 513
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the financial effects on the economy from effects on the length of time taken to complete Criminal Records Bureau checks in the last 12 months. | | (243807) | 514
| Ben Chapman (Wirral South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will estimate the average financial effects on individual employees caused by the length of time taken to complete Criminal Records Bureau checks in the last 12 months. | | (243808) | 515
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many of the 3,275 cases where persons were suspected of working in the security industry in breach of immigration laws after a false name or national insurance number had been given to the Security Industry Authority have resulted in the (a) prosecution and (b) deportation or removal of the person concerned from the United Kingdom. | | (244298) | 516
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many work permits have been issued to (a) doctors and (b) nurses from Zimbabwe since 1 January 2008. | | (244300) | 517
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, for what reasons the Police Long Service Medal requires longer qualification service than other equivalent long service medals awarded to military or civilian personnel. | | (243934) | 518
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to allocate officials trained in the context of human rights work to the consideration of applications for visas from human rights defenders seeking entry to the UK on official business; and if she will make a statement. | | (244297) | 519
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which sectors of industry have sites protected by armed police. | | (243809) | 520
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost has been of the investigation into the leaking of documents from her Department. | | (243870) | 521
N | Mr David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the companies which comprise the National Identity Card Scheme Strategic Suppliers Group have not signed the non-disclosure agreement. | | (243692) | 522
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Independent Police Complaints Commission has the power to investigate complaints about allegedly unlawful conduct by serving police officers. | | (243691) | 523
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have a record on the national DNA database; and of these how many have not been convicted of any crime. | | (243763) | 524
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests there have been for a recordable offence in the last 10 years; and how many such arrests resulted in convictions. | | (243764) | 525
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times the national DNA database has been accessed in relation to a case where (a) a conviction was made and (b) a conviction was not made; and how many convicted individuals in such circumstances had a DNA profile on the database but had no prior conviction. | | (243765) | 526
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what circumstances an individual's DNA profile may be deleted from the national DNA database. | | (243766) | 527
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people resident in (a) Southampton, (b) Test Valley Borough and (c) the ceremonial county of Hampshire were breathalysed and recorded as below the drink-driving limit in each of the last five years. | | (243914) | 528
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) vehicle thefts and (b) domestic burglaries there were in (i) Southampton, (ii) Test Valley Borough and (iii) the ceremonial county of Hampshire in each of the last five years. | | (243915) | 529
| Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders were (a) issued and (b) breached in (i) Southampton, (ii) Test Valley Borough and (iii) the ceremonial county of Hampshire in (A) 2006, (B) 2007 and (C) 2008. | | (243916) | 530
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) immigrants and (b) asylum seekers who have been returned to their country of origin in each of the last five years (i) have had severe health problems, (ii) have had mental illnesses and (iii) were pregnant. | | (243671) | 531
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) Iraqi and (b) Afghan nationals have (i) applied for and (ii) been granted asylum in the United Kingdom in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. | | (243672) | 532
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) arrests and (b) prosecutions there have been for animal cruelty in each of the last five years. | | (243771) | 533
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her policy is on tackling domestic violence; and if she will make a statement. | | (244494) | 534
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of asylum-seekers (a) in total and (b) who will enter and remain in the UK in each year to 2018. | | (244496) | 535
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long the biometric information will be retained in respect of foreign nationals issued with a biometric identity card after the individual concerned has returned permanently to their home country. | | (244113) | 536
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the likely effect on levels of illegal immigration into the European Union as a result of Switzerland joining the Schengen area. | | (244114) | 537
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people originally detained by the Royal Navy, other agencies or foreign navies who are known or suspected of being involved in piracy and other crimes in the Indian Ocean off the coast of east Africa have (a) applied for, (b) been granted asylum in the UK and (c) been allowed into the UK for an asylum claim to be considered in each of the last five years. | | (244115) | 538
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what entitlements to (a) NHS treatment, (b) social security benefits, (c) housing and (d) other services will be withdrawn from immigrants and other non-UK citizens by proposed legislation and measures under her Department's responsibility as set out in the Gracious Speech. | | (244116) | 539
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 48WS, on language analysis, what percentage of persons claiming asylum from Eritrea and Somalia who were subject to language analysis had their claim refused on the basis of language analysis; and what estimate her Department has made of the likely effect of the introduction of language analysis on applications from Afghan nationals. | | (244230) | 540
| Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 4 December 2008, Official Report, columns 9-11WS, on the Justice and Home Affairs Council, when the Government expects the EU to meet the United Nations Commission on Human Rights target for 10,000 Iraqi refugees to be offered protection in the EU; how many such refugees it is anticipated that (a) the UK and (b) other member states will accommodate; and whether the number that the UK plans to host is in addition to those to whom the Government has already agreed to grant humanitarian protection by virtue of their work for the armed forces. | | (244311) | 541
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Policing Green Paper of July 2008, what mechanism is in place to assess chief constables' performance and performance-related pay. | | (243596) | 542
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many authorised firearms officers there were in England in each year since 2005. | | (243603) | 543
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many authorised firearms officers were recruited in England in each year since 2005. | | (243604) | 544
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people visited the Know Your Limits stand sponsored by her Department at the Clothes Show Live exhibition. | | (243605) | 545
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Policing Green Paper of July 2008, what indicators will be used to measure her Department's performance in tackling serious crime. | | (243606) | 546
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what information each police force must provide to meet they are meeting the levels of service to the community set out in the police pledge. | | (243607) | 547
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department plans to assess each police force in order to determine whether it is meeting the police pledge. | | (243608) | 548
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 37W, on terrorism: detainees, with what offences the individuals held for over 14 days and then charged were charged; and how many (a) have been convicted, (b) offences have been acquitted and (c) remain subject to trial. | | (243618) | 549
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people (a) have been charged with criminal offences, (b) have been convicted, (c) have been acquitted and (d) remain subject to trial as a result of Operation Overt in August 2006. | | (243676) | 550
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2008, Official Report, column 37W, on terrorism: detainees, with what offences the individuals held for between 27 to 28 days and not released without charge were charged. | | (243693) | 551
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 39WS, on strategic policing priorities, what indicators will be used to assess the strategic policing priorities for 2009-10. | | (243698) | 552
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 39WS, on strategic policing priorities, what mechanisms are in place to measure police performance. | | (243701) | 553
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 39WS, on strategic policing priorities, by what means (a) a police force, (b) its police authority, (c) crime and disorder reduction partnerships, community safety partnerships and other local partners and (d) local people are to be involved in setting local policing priorities for 2009-10. | | (243702) | 554
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 721W, on deportation: offenders, if she will list the grounds for deportation relating to national security other than suspected involvement in terrorism. | | (243909) | 555
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 721W, on deportation: offenders, where the 19 individuals whose deportation has been discontinued are residing. | | (243910) | 556
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 721W, on deportation: offenders, when the six individuals deported after they were certified under Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 were deported. | | (243911) | 557
| Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 721W, on deportation: offenders, where the nine individuals certified under Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 who have not been deported are residing. | | (243912) | 558
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people aged (a) between 18 and 23, (b) between 24 and 29, (c) between 30 and 35, (d) between 36 and 40 and (e) over 41 years old have been arrested for assaulting paramedics in each month of the last five years. | | (243545) | 559
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been arrested in each local authority area for assaulting a paramedic in each month of the last five years. | | (243546) | 560
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were awaiting deportation from the UK on 1 December 2008. | | (243767) | 561
N | Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children were awaiting deportation to (a) Zimbabwe, (b) Democratic Republic of Congo, (c) Sudan, (d) Georgia and (e) Somalia on 1 December 2008. | | (243768) | 562
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many stop-and-searches were carried out under (a) section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and (b) section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 on the Hoo Peninsula in Kent between 30 July and 14 August 2008. | | (244294) | 563
| David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many stop-and-searches were carried out under (a) section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and (b) section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 in Deansgate Golf Course Car Park in Kent between 30 July and 14 August 2008. | | (244295) | 564
| Simon Hughes (North Southwark & Bermondsey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she expects to announce her response to the European Court of Human Rights' judgment in the case of S and Marper. | | (244520) | 565
N | Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences of burglary from a dwelling were recorded in each month of (a) 2007 and (b) 2008 to date. | | (243262) | 566
N | Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people from Zimbabwe who (a) have been and (b) have not been convicted of a criminal offence in the UK were held in immigration detention centres on 1 December 2008. | | (243485) | 567
N | Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many offences of (a) sexual assault and (b) domestic violence were recorded in each month of (i) 2007 and (ii) 2008. | | (243547) | 568
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times passengers arriving in UK airports on international flights have entered the country through the arrivals facilities for domestic flights in the last 12 months. | | (243615) | 569
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times arriving domestic passengers have been taken to international arrivals at each major UK airport in each of the last five years. | | (244175) | 570
| Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many freedom of information requests have been received by her Department in 2008 to date; and how many have been (a) granted and (b) rejected. | | (244037) | 571
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Maidenhead of 23 October regarding her constituent Ms Ali. | | (244193) | 572
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Statement by Lord West of Spithead on 9 July 2008, Official Report, House of Lords, column 750, whether Mr Abdulmajid Hassan Ismail has been deported to Sudan; and if she will make a statement. | | (244410) | 573
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent by her Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244348) | 574
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Serious and Organised Crime Agency agreed to adopt from other law enforcement agencies for investigation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in the first six months of this financial year. | | (243620) | 575
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated value of assets in cases adopted for civil recovery or tax action from other law enforcement agencies by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency was in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in the first six months of this financial year. | | (243621) | 576
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Assets Recovery Agency had under investigation with a view to civil recovery or taxation action in which no action to restrain assets had yet been taken as at 31 March 2008; what the estimated value of the assets under investigation in those cases was; how many of those investigations were subsequently terminated by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency without court action; what the reasons for the termination were in those cases; what the estimated value of assets in terminated cases was; and in respect of such terminated cases, what steps have been taken to remove relevant assets from criminals. | | (243622) | 577
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Serious and Organised Crime Agency completed in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in the first six months of 2008-09; what the value of the assets recovered in those cases was; how many of those cases related to work inherited from the Assets Recovery Agency; and what the value of assets recovered in such inherited cases was. | | (243623) | 578
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how long on average it took for the Serious and Organised Crime Agency to decide whether to adopt cases referred to it in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) nationwide in the first six months of 2008-09. | | (243624) | 579
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the value of assets in those cases which the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has declined to adopt in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in the first six months of 2008-09. | | (243625) | 580
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the cases referred to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency the agency declined to adopt in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) nationwide in the first six months of this financial year; and what the reasons were for declining in each case. | | (243626) | 581
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the value of assets restrained in cases which the Serious and Organised Crime Agency has adopted in the first six months of 2008-09 in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK. | | (243627) | 582
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were referred to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency by other law enforcement agencies for civil recovery or taxation investigation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in the first six months of 2008-09. | | (243782) | 583
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the value of the assets involved in those cases adopted by the Assets Recovery Agency in (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) 2007-08. | | (243783) | 584
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were referred to the Assets Recovery Agency by other law enforcement agencies for criminal confiscation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08; and how many such cases were referred for civil recovery and taxation investigation in (A) Northern Ireland and (B) the UK in each such year. | | (243784) | 585
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Assets Recovery Agency adopted for criminal confiscation action in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. | | (243785) | 586
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Assets Recovery Agency concluded in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. | | (243786) | 587
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated value of the assets involved in cases concluded by the Assets Recovery Agency was in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. | | (243787) | 588
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the value of the assets involved in cases adopted by the Assets Recovery Agency for civil or tax investigation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. | | (243788) | 589
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were adopted by the Assets Recovery Agency for civil or tax investigation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK in (i) 2003-04, (ii) 2004-05, (iii) 2005-06, (iv) 2006-07 and (v) 2007-08. | | (243789) | 590
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many criminal investigations were opened by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; what value of assets have been restrained in such cases in each year; in how many such cases assets have been restrained in each year; what estimate has been made of the value of assets under investigation in such cases in each year; how many such cases related to criminal confiscation investigations in each year; and how many such cases resulted in persons being charged in each year. | | (243790) | 591
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases the Assets Recovery Agency transferred to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on 31 March 2008 in which proceedings for civil recovery on taxation investigation had been initiated; what the estimated value of assets restrained in those cases was; how many of those cases were terminated by SOCA without asset recovery; what the reasons were for termination in each such case; what the estimated value of assets in cases so terminated was; how many such inherited cases not terminated have been completed by obtaining a civil recovery order or consentor; in how many such cases (a) a tax settlement been agreed and (b) a judgment from Special Commissioners has been obtained; what the value of such orders and settlements is; and what the value of assets restrained in such cases is. | | (243791) | 592
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many criminal investigations the Serious and Organised Crime Agency inherited from its predecessor organisations. | | (243792) | 593
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many of the cases inherited by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency upon its establishment prosecutions had already been initiated. | | (243793) | 594
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the cases which the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) inherited from other law enforcement agencies in which prosecution proceedings had been initiated prior to SOCA's adoption of the case relate to investigations for the purpose of criminal confiscation. | | (243794) | 595
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the value of assets restrained in those cases which the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) inherited from other law enforcement agencies and in which prosecutions proceedings had been initiated before SOCA adopted the case. | | (243795) | 596
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases inherited by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in which prosecutions had been initiated before SOCA adopted the case those prosecutions proceedings have now been completed. | | (243796) | 597
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases inherited from other law enforcement agencies by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in which prosecution proceedings had been initiated before SOCA adopted the case criminal confiscation orders have been granted. | | (243797) | 598
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much money has been recovered to date by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) from cases it inherited from other law enforcement agencies in which prosecutions had been initiated before SOCA adopted the case; and what the value of criminal confiscation orders issued in relation to such cases is. | | (243798) | 599
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were transferred by the Assets Recovery Agency to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on 31 March 2008 in which proceedings for civil recovery or taxation had been initiated in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK; what the estimated value of the assets restrained in those cases was; how many of those cases related to (i) oils and (ii) tobacco fraud; and what the value of assets was in (A) oil and (B) tobacco fraud cases so transferred. | | (243841) | 600
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were under investigation by the Assets Recovery Agency at 31 March 2008 with a view to criminal confiscation where no action had been taken to restrain assets; what the estimated value of the assets under investigation in those cases was; how many of those investigations were subsequently terminated by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency without court action; what the reasons for termination was in each case; what the estimated value of the assets in the cases terminated was; and what steps have been taken to ensure that the relevant assets do not remain in the hands of criminals in those cases terminated without court action in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK. | | (243842) | 601
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were transferred by the Assets Recovery Agency to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on 31 March 2008 in which an action or investigation for criminal confiscation of assets had been initiated (a) in Northern Ireland and (b) in the UK; what the estimated value of the assets restrained in those cases was; in how many such investigations SOCA has obtained a confiscation order; and what the value of assets affected by such order is. | | (243843) | 602
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases were being investigated by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in which criminal confiscation action had been initiated in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the UK as at 31 March 2008; what the estimated value of the assets restrained in those cases was; in how many such investigations SOCA has obtained a confiscation order; what the value of assets affected by such orders is; and what the estimated value of assets restrained under such orders is. | | (243844) | 603
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many cases have been referred to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) by law enforcement agencies in England and Wales for criminal confiscation investigation in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) nationwide in the first six months of 2008-09; in how many of those cases SOCA has agreed to adoption for such investigation and action; what the estimated value of the assets in the cases adopted for civil recovery or tax action from other law enforcement agencies is; in how many such cases action has already been taken to restrain assets; and what the value of assets restrained in such cases is. | | (243849) | 604
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost of (a) abolishing the Assets Recovery Agency and (b) merging the Agency's functions with those of the (i) Serious Organised Crime Agency and (ii) National Policing Improvement Agency has been; and what estimate she has made of the effect on public expenditure resulting from these changes. | | (243918) | 605
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget of the Serious and Organised Crime Agency for its work on assets recovery in Northern Ireland is in 2008-09. | | (243921) | 606
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) financial investigators and (b) lawyers were employed by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency solely on assets recovery work in (i) the UK and (ii) Northern Ireland on 30 September 2008. | | (243922) | 607
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) financial investigators and (b) lawyers devoted to criminal confiscation work were employed in the Serious and Organised Crime Agency on 31 March 2008. | | (243923) | 608
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) financial investigators and (b) lawyers were employed in the Assets Recovery Agency in (i) the UK and (ii) Northern Ireland on 31 March 2008. | | (243924) | 609
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent by the Assets Recovery Agency in pursuing its work in Northern Ireland in 2007-08. | | (243925) | 610
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes were made to the funding allocated to (a) the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and (b) the National Policing Improvement Agency as a result of the merger with elements of the Assets Recovery Agency. | | (243926) | 611
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the budget was of the Assets Recovery Agency in its final year of operation. | | (243931) | 612
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what targets relating to (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland have been set for the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in 2008-09 in terms of (i) the number of criminal confiscation cases initiated, (ii) the number of those cases in which criminal assets will be restrained, (iii) the projected value of those assets, (iv) the number of cases in which action to recover assets by civil recovery or taxation is planned to be initiated and (v) the projected value of assets to be restrained through such actions; and what progress has been made against those targets to date. | | (243932) | 613
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many of the cases inherited by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in which prosecutions had been initiated previously assets had been restrained before adoption by SOCA. | | (244006) | 614
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases adopted by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency action has been taken to restrain assets in (a) the UK and (b) Northern Ireland, in the first six months of 2008-09. | | (244063) | 615
| Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to Leicestershire Police Authority of policing East Midlands Airport was in the last year for which figures were available. | | (244195) | 616
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243972) | 617
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) vehicle theft, (b) domestic burglary and (c) violent crime there were in each police force area in Wales in each of the last 17 years, broken down by sub-category of crime. | | (244186) | 618
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the future annual cost of providing allowances to directly elected crime and policing representatives as proposed in the Policing Green Paper. | | (244187) | 619
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what costs she estimates would be incurred in holding elections for crime and policing representatives across England and Wales as proposed in the Policing Green Paper. | | (244188) | 620
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in her Department did not achieve an acceptable assessment grade in their annual report in the latest reporting year for which figures are available. | | (244189) | 621
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been issued to young people found drinking and behaving anti-socially in public in each of the last five years. | | (244191) | 622
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in how many cases of (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) theft, (f) fraud and forgery, (g) criminal damage and (h) drugs offences police cautions were given in each of the last five years; and what proportion of such cases were first offences. | | (244428) | 623
| Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) charges, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions, (d) cautions and (e) fines there have been for breaches of the Hunting Act 2004 in each police force area since its enactment. | | (244431) | 624
N | Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the contribution closed circuit television can make to tackling crime. | | (242965) | 625
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many special advisers were employed in her Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what her Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243571) | 626
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243747) | 627
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent representations she has received on the corporate status of the Association of Chief Police Officers; and if she will make a statement. | | (243140) | 628
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make it her policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in her Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244390) | 629
| Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will hold discussions with her counterparts in other EU member states to seek to establish systems to provide safety, support and advice for trafficking victims discovered in the UK and returned to other EU member states. | | (243824) | 630
N | Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what public funding is available for victims of trafficking to the UK from (a) the first group of EU accession countries, (b) the second group of EU accession countries and (c) Romania and Bulgaria who wish to return to their home countries; and what steps are taken to (i) accompany such people to the airport of departure and (ii) ensure support and advice is available to them in their home country. | | (243825) | 631
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of individuals trafficked into the UK for (a) sexual exploitation and (b) forced labour purposes in the most recent year for which figures are available. | | (243480) | 632
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the number of individuals trafficked into the UK for (a) sexual exploitation and (b) forced labour purposes who have been rescued as a result of work carried out by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking team. | | (243481) | 633
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals have been prosecuted as a result of work carried out by the Metropolitan Police human trafficking team. | | (243482) | 634
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to her Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight Report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if she will make a statement. | | (244022) | 635
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the level of domestic violence in (a) England, (b) Merseyside and (c) Halton. | | (244207) | 636
| Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has had discussions with her Indian counterpart on the implications of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai for the national security of the UK and India. | | (243819) | 637
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department made of ETS's performamce before approving its Test of English as a Foreign Language for use within the immigration system; and whether any references provided were taken up. | | (233990) | 638
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on what basis the asylum support benefit rates are set; and whether that basis will apply to their next uprating. | | (244199) | 639
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average crime clear-up rate was in England and Wales in 2007-08, broken down by police force; what assessment she has made of the reasons for differences in such rates between police forces; and if she will make a statement. | | (244301) | 640
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the crime clear-up rates for (a) violence against the person, (b) robbery, (c) burglary in a dwelling, (d) theft of a motor vehicle and (e) theft from a vehicle were in the Thames Valley police area in each of the last 10 years, broken down by basic command unit. | | (244372) | 641
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many crimes were reported in the Thames Valley police force area in each of the last 10 years; and what the detection rate was in each such year. | | (244373) | 642
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) burglaries, (b) violent crimes and (c) thefts were reported in the Thames Valley police force area in each of the last 10 years; and what the detection rate was in each such year. | | (244375) | 643
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much each basic command unit in the Thames Valley police force area cost in each of the last 10 years; and what the performance indicators for each basic command unit are. | | (244430) | 644
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests for drink-driving offences there were in the Thames Valley police force area in each of the last 20 quarters for which records are available, broken down by basic command unit. | | (244432) | 645
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) cautions and (b) arrests for alcohol-related offences there were in the Thames Valley police force area in each of the last 20 quarters for which records are available, broken down by basic command unit. | | (244434) | 646
N | Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the operation of the UK visa system. | | (242967) | 647
N | Pete Wishart (Perth and North Perthshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which former Ministers continue to receive security protection; and how much it has cost to provide this protection, broken down by individual former Ministers, in each year since they left office. | | (243261) | Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 648
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been spent on (a) staff Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the House of Commons in the last three years. | | (243729) | 649
| Mr John Whittingdale (Maldon & East Chelmsford): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will take steps to improve mobile telephone reception in Portcullis House. | | (243845) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 650
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much and what proportion of university research income was sourced from (a) business and (b) charities in each of the last 10 years. | | (242773) | 651
N | Adam Afriyie (Windsor): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding his Department allocated to the Charity Research Support Fund in each year since its creation; and what planned expenditure on the fund is for each year to 2012. | | (242774) | 652
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what projects to develop more environmentally efficient private motor vehicles have been sponsored by his Department's Technology Strategy Board; and what progress has been made on those projects. | | (243810) | 653
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many students will be affected by recent changes to the maintenance grant system. | | (243486) | 654
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the eligibility criteria regarding past academic achievement for individuals accessing the Train to Gain programme are; and if he will make a statement. | | (243555) | 655
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps the Learning and Skills Council has taken to comply with the disability equality duty; and if he will make a statement. | | (243839) | 656
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what records he holds of the number of Newcastle-based further education students who are at university in the city. | | (244128) | 657
| Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what tasks he has asked each Government Office to undertake in relation to the proposed changes to the funding and management of further education colleges; and if he will make a statement. | | (244172) | 658
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much has been spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms since it was established. | | (244349) | 659
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which charities his Department has provided funding of more than £100,000 to in each of the last three years; and how much was given to each. | | (243139) | 660
| Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure continued national funding is available to further education colleges which provide vocational training opportunities nationally. | | (244203) | 661
| Mr Andy Reed (Loughborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate funding is available for further education training courses for those who are visually impaired; and if he will make a statement. | | (244204) | 662
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what proportion of young people in each of the principal seaside towns were not in employment, education or training at the latest date for which information is available. | | (244425) | 663
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that people who lose their jobs in the current economic downturn will have the necessary skills and qualifications to re-enter employment. | | (243828) | 664
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many people living in Enfield North constituency have participated in the Train to Gain programme in each of the last three years. | | (243829) | 665
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243570) | 666
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243717) | 667
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in each year since his Department's formation. | | (243740) | 668
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what recent reports he has received on the operation of the Large Hadron Collider; and if he will make a statement. | | (242439) | 669
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244389) | 670
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular regard to life-long learning policy objectives; and if he will make a statement. | | (244017) | 671
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many people living in Halton have participated in the Train to Gain programme in each of the last three years. | | (244206) | 672
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many full-time equivalent student places have been created in each year since 1992. | | (233991) | 673
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on recognising employer-sponsor vendor qualifications, including IT vendor qualifications. | | (233992) | 674
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, when he plans to publish the terms of reference for the tuition fees review; and whether he expects the review to report before the end of 2009. | | (233993) | 675
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, if he will place in the Library a copy of correspondence with overseas counterparts on Commonwealth scholarship funding. | | (233994) | 676
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what recent discussions he has had with the Higher Education Funding Council for England on its overseas research student award scheme. | | (233995) | 677
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what estimate he has made of the amount paid in national insurance contributions by (a) further education colleges and (b) universities in the last 12 months for which figures are available | | (243985) | 678
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much (a) further education colleges and (b) universities paid in value added tax (VAT) in 2007-08; and what estimate he has made of the savings each will accrue as a result of the reduction in the rate of VAT. | | (243986) | 679
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much the average education maintenance allowance payment to eligible undergraduate students was in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08. | | (243987) | 680
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how long he expects the tuition fees review to take. | | (243988) | 681
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many publicly-funded scholarships are expected to be available for doctoral students from Commonwealth countries to study at UK universities in each year between 2008-09 and 2012-13. | | (243996) | 682
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many doctoral students from Commonwealth countries have received scholarships from his Department in each year since 1997. | | (243997) | 683
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, when he expects his Department's Performance Report for 2008 to be published. | | (243998) | 684
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much his Department has spent on advertising in each month since it was first established; how much his Department has spent on advertising each of its programmes in each month since its establishment; and how much of such expenditure was incurred in respect of each advertising medium. | | (243999) | 685
| Stephen Williams (Bristol West): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what plans he has to review the costs associated with balances owed to the Student Loans Company. | | (243594) | 686
| Mr Rob Wilson (Reading East): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much has been provided from each applicable funding stream for (a) universities and (b) further education colleges to enable people made redundant to re-train. | | (244485) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 687
| Mr Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to assist in preservation of rainforest in Guyana. | | (244488) | 688
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department plans to contribute to the International Fund for Agricultural Development in the next three years. | | (244165) | 689
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to alleviate the water shortage in Harare; and if he will make a statement. | | (243674) | 690
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps his Department is taking to alleviate the effects of the cholera outbreak in Harare. | | (243675) | 691
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid the Government has provided to North Korea in each of the last 10 years; how much is planned to be provided; and what the (a) purpose and (b) nature of this aid is. | | (244495) | 692
| Mr William Hague (Richmond (Yorks)): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what role the Government has played in the training of the police force in Somalia; what funding has been provided from his Department; and if he will make a statement. | | (243947) | 693
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much aid his Department has given to Bosnia and Herzegovina in each year since 1997; and how it has been used. | | (244538) | 694
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244350) | 695
| Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the value has been of Government aid to Eritrea in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) 2008-09; through which relief agencies the funding has been channelled; and to what projects it has been allocated. | | (243937) | 696
| Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many people are employed in his Department's Stabilisation Unit (a) centrally, (b) in each theatre of operation and (c) to deal with each theatre; how many have been drawn from each contributing Department; what the annual running costs of the unit are; how much the unit has spent in each theatre in which it operates in the last 12 months; and what plans there are to audit its (i) performance and (ii) efficiency. | | (244005) | 697
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243569) | 698
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243716) | 699
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243735) | 700
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244016) | 701
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what proportion of the £600 million of aid pledged to Afghanistan in June 2008 he expects to be spent in each year to 2012-13. | | (244374) | 702
| Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports he has received on the (a) likelihood and (b) likely extent of famine in Afghanistan; what assessment he has made of Afghanistan's need for aid this winter; and if he will make a statement | | (244376) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 703
N | John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what remedies there are for expert witnesses before tribunals who consider that their professional reputation has been damaged by statements made (a) in tribunal judgments and (b) by those presiding over the tribunal, with particular reference to the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal. | | (243471) | 704
N | John Austin (Erith & Thamesmead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received from expert witnesses before the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal who consider that their professional reputation has been damaged as a consequence of tribunal judgments. | | (243472) | 705
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the running costs have been of the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (CAFCASS) in 2008-09; what budgets for CAFCASS have been fixed over the next two financial years; and if he will make a statement. | | (243873) | 706
| Mr Parmjit Dhanda (Gloucester): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reasons were for the decision to downgrade Gloucester prison; if he will communicate those reasons directly to the prison's authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (244145) | 707
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) payee, (b) reason for each payment and (c) amount paid to each payee was out of the total of £14,564,000 of special payments by the Prison Service referred to in the Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08. | | (243584) | 708
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many invoices were paid late by the Prison Service incurring interest charges amounting to the £198,000 referred to in the Prison Service's Annual Report and Accounts 2007-08; and (a) how much each invoice was for and (b) what the reason for the late payment was in each case. | | (243585) | 709
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will appoint a (a) director of mental health, (b) director of women's prisons, (c) director of education and (d) director of programmes to the National Offender Management Service Board. | | (243587) | 710
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what industrial relations agreements are in place between his Department and the Prison Service on the one hand and (a) the Prison Officers' Association and (b) the Prison Governors' Association on the other; and what contractual or other rights (i) the Prison Officers' Association and (ii) the Prison Governors' Association have with regard to access to the Prison Service Pay Review Body. | | (243616) | 711
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in his discussions on the Prison Service workforce modernisation proposals with the Prison Officers' Association; when he expects those negotiations to conclude; and if he will make a statement. | | (243617) | 712
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what responses he has received to the Prison Service workforce modernisation proposals from (a) the Prison Officers' Association, (b) the Prison Governors' Association, (c) the Prison Service Trade Union Side, (d) the Prison Service Joint Industrial Council, (e) The Royal College of Nursing and (f) other trades unions and staff associations recognised by the Prison Service. | | (243619) | 713
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff grievances were lodged at each prison establishment in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available. | | (244031) | 714
| Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which (a) prisons and (b) young offender institutions (YOIs) had courses to help prisoners with (i) alcohol and (ii) drug misuse in each year from 1997 to 2007; how many currently have such courses available; and how many people are attending such courses in each (A) prison and (B) YOI. | | (244341) | 715
| Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many self-inflicted deaths there were in (a) all prisons, (b) young offender institutions, (c) male prisons and (d) female prisons in each year since 2003; and if he will make a statement. | | (243777) | 716
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many appeals have been lodged by claimants of incapacity benefit against a decision made to stop payment of the benefit in each of the last 11 years; how many such appeals were upheld in each year; and what the average time taken from an appeal being (a) received and logged and (b) logged and resolved was in each year. | | (243475) | 717
N | Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners are on remand in prisons in England and Wales, broken down by (a) offence and (b) sex. | | (243260) | 718
N | Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many children were being held with their mothers in prisons in England and Wales on the latest date for which figures are available. | | (243263) | 719
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the expected annual capital cost of the prison building programme in each year between 2007-08 and 2014-15. | | (244178) | 720
| Chris Huhne (Eastleigh): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners currently serving prison sentences have served beyond their original or adjusted tariff. | | (244197) | 721
| Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time is for (a) the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and (b) the ICO Freedom of Information Operation Team 5 - Local Government (South) to allocate a freedom of information case to a caseworker. | | (244169) | 722
| Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many freedom of information cases referred to the Information Commissioner (a) are under investigation by a caseworker and (b) are awaiting allocation to a caseworker. | | (244170) | 723
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 910W, on prisons: electronic surveillance, whether the Wilson doctrine applies to telephone interception and the use of electronic surveillance by the police; and if he will make a statement. | | (243483) | 724
N | Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 21 July 2008, Official Report, column 910W, on prisons: electronic surveillance, whether the Wilson doctrine applies to data on the hard drive of hon. Members' computers; and if he will make a statement. | | (243484) | 725
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since it was established. | | (244351) | 726
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people under 18 years have been convicted of offences related to the carrying of a knife in each year in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire since 1997; and what range of penalties were imposed. | | (243981) | 727
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243971) | 728
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Government has any plans for constitutional reform in Crown Dependencies. | | (244059) | 729
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243568) | 730
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243715) | 731
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243748) | 732
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison places his Department expects to be available in Essex in each year from 2007 to 2012. | | (243904) | 733
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of selling tobacco to those under 18 years since the age of sale was raised to 18 years. | | (243905) | 734
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244388) | 735
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend those provisions of the Act of Settlement relating to the Royal Succession; and what recent representations he has received on the matter. | | (244129) | Questions to the Leader of the House 736
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Leader of the House, whether she was informed by the Serjeant-at-Arms that the police who searched the Parliamentary Office of the hon. Member for Ashford on 27 November 2008 did not have a search warrant. | | (243582) | 737
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Leader of the House, if she will make a statement on the right of search of parliamentary premises. | | (244157) | 738
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Leader of the House, how many special advisers were employed in her Office at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what her Office's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243567) | 739
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Leader of the House, if she will make a statement on the right of search of parliamentary premises. | | (244158) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 740
N | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many cases in Northern Ireland have been dealt with under the auspices of the Historical Enquiries Team; and how many of these have (a) resulted in judicial proceedings and (b) led to prosecutions. | | (243464) | 741
| Mark Durkan (Foyle): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many vacancies there are in his Department at (a) administrative officer, (b) executive officer I, (c) executive officer II and (d) staff officer grades, broken down by location. | | (244219) | 742
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244352) | 743
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans the Department of Public Prosecutions in Northern Ireland has for action in civil recovery; when these will be implemented; and what budget has been set aside for such civil recovery work in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. | | (243927) | 744
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 882W, on departmental travel, how much was spent by his Department's (a) agencies and (b) executive non-departmental public bodies on (i) staff travel within the UK and (ii) international staff travel in the last 12 months. | | (244007) | 745
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 881W, on departmental hospitality, how much was spent by his Department's (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies on hosting events in the last 12 months. | | (244008) | 746
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, column 881W, on departmental hospitality, which suppliers were contracted by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department in connection with events hosted in the last 12 months. | | (244009) | 747
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 885-6W, on television, from which suppliers his Department has purchased televisions in the last 12 months. | | (244054) | 748
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 885-6W, on television, how much his Department's (a) agencies and (b) executive non-departmental public bodies have spent on (i) televisions and (ii) receiving digital television in the last 12 months. | | (244056) | 749
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answers of 17 November 2008, Official Report, column 3W and 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 261W, on the Saville Inquiry, what the evidential basis is for the statements that (a) the final cost of the Inquiry will not exceed £191 million and (b) the Inquiry's final report will be delivered by autumn 2009. | | (244058) | 750
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243976) | 751
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243566) | 752
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243712) | 753
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243734) | 754
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244387) | 755
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244023) | Questions to the Minister for the Olympics 756
| Mr Doug Henderson (Newcastle upon Tyne North): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what steps she has taken to hold discussions with local authorities on how their areas can benefit from the London 2012 Olympics. | | (244176) | 757
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what her policy is on the authorisation and use of the community brand for the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement. | | (243212) | 758
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what plans she has to allow commercial organisations to seek the endorsement of the London 2012 Organising Committee for mass participation schemes. | | (243213) | 759
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, whether (a) her Office and (b) the Olympic Delivery Authority have had discussions with modular building contractors on the construction of the athletes' village for the London 2012 Olympics. | | (243589) | 760
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what assessment has been made of the viability of using modular construction methods for the athletes' village for the London 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement. | | (243590) | 761
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what recent estimate she has made of the cost of construction of the athletes' village for the London 2012 Olympics; if she will estimate the cost of construction of the village using modular construction methods; and if she will make a statement. | | (243591) | 762
N | Hugh Robertson (Faversham & Mid Kent): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, pursuant to the Answer of 8 December 2008, Official Report, column 3W, for what reasons exclusivity has been granted to Lend Lease; and if she will make a statement. | | (243762) | 763
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, how much has been spent by (a) her Office and (b) each body for which she has responsibility on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243727) | Questions to the Prime Minister 764
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, on what date he last met Roland Rudd in his capacity as a representative of Finsbury Ltd. | | (243132) | 765
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Prime Minister, what correspondence he has had with members of the public on the noise thresholds that should apply to air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines under the permitted development system. | | (244502) | 766
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his letter to a member of the public of 27 August 2008, on the inclusion of air source heat pumps and micro-wind turbines in the permitted development scheme, for what reasons the relevant delegated legislation has not been laid before Parliament. | | (244503) | 767
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Prime Minister, what matters concerning nuclear disarmament initiatives were discussed at his meeting with President Sarkozy of France on 8 December 2008. | | (243815) | 768
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Prime Minister, how many special advisers were employed in 10 Downing Street at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what the expenditure on special advisers in 10 Downing Street was in 2007-08. | | (243565) | 769
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Prime Minister, how much has been spent by 10 Downing Street on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243718) | 770
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Prime Minister, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in 10 Downing Street in the last three years. | | (243733) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 771
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244354) | 772
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243977) | 773
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243564) | 774
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243726) | 775
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243742) | 776
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244386) | 777
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244024) | Questions to the Solicitor General 778
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, what consideration the Crown Prosecution Service gave to including reference to the use of civil recovery powers in its Memorandum of Understanding with the Association of Chief Police Officers on pursuing criminal assets. | | (243799) | 779
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, what steps have been taken to facilitate the (a) Crown Prosecution Service, (b) the Director of Public Prosecutions for Northern Ireland, (c) the Serious Fraud Office and (d) the Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office discharging new responsibilities for civil recovery action; what funding has been provided to each to reflect these new responsibilities; and how many (i) lawyers and (ii) investigations have been employed by each to discharge such functions. | | (243919) | 780
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, how many of the (a) investigators and (b) lawyers employed by the (i) Crown Prosecution Service, (ii) the Public Prosecution Office in Northern Ireland, (iii) the Serious Fraud Office and (iv) the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office have received specific training in civil recovery investigations and litigation in the first six months of this financial year; how many civil recovery investigations were commenced by each agency in that period; in how many such cases assets have been restrained; and what the value of such assets is. | | (243920) | 781
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, what plans the Serious Fraud Office has for action in civil recovery; and when she expects these to be implemented. | | (243928) | 782
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, what budget allocation has been made for civil recovery work in the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. | | (243929) | 783
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, what arrangements have been put in place in the Crown Prosecution Service to enable the Service to discharge its newly acquired responsibilities for civil recovery; when arrangements will be implemented; and what budget has been allocated for civil recovery work in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10. | | (243930) | 784
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Solicitor General, how many special advisers were employed in the Law Officers' Departments at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what the Law Officers' Departments' total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243563) | 785
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Solicitor General, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the Law Officers' Departments in the last three years. | | (243728) | 786
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Solicitor General, how much has been spent by the Law Officers' Departments on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243899) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 787
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates since 1 January 2007 (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had discussions with (i) Finsbury Ltd and (ii) Roland Rudd. | | (243130) | 788
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received from Finsbury Ltd in connection with the proposal for a third runway at Heathrow since 1 January 2007. | | (243131) | 789
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when and by what means he plans to take forward the proposals set out by his Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his speech at the Airport Policing Conference on 12 November 2008. | | (243948) | 790
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to improve rail freight facilities in Nottinghamshire. | | (243957) | 791
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of traffic on the A46 in Nottinghamshire was accounted for by heavy goods vehicles in the latest period for which figures are available. | | (243958) | 792
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department's capital expenditure on rail freight facilities has been in each year since 1997. | | (243959) | 793
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if the Government will revise its modelling of the economic case for a third runway at Heathrow to take account of the most recent estimates from the International Energy Agency of oil prices in 2030. | | (243960) | 794
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential economic benefits to the East Sussex area of planned improvements to the A21. | | (243597) | 795
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the timescale is for the Bexhill Link Road Project; when he expects the link road to be completed; and if he will make a statement. | | (243598) | 796
N | Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the proposed timetable is for improvements to the A21; and if he will make a statement. | | (243599) | 797
| Mr James Clappison (Hertsmere): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what future steps he plans to take in response to the Potters Bar derailment. | | (244312) | 798
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what concessionary fare systems there are for disabled people to travel by train. | | (243871) | 799
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) offered different types of severance terms to (a) VOSA directors and (b) other staff working at VOSA headquarters. | | (244265) | 800
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much his Department paid in annual basic wages to staff in senior Civil Service grades at 31 March (a) 2006 and (b) 2007. | | (244266) | 801
| Mr David Drew (Stroud): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff his Department has recruited from outside the Civil Service to senior Civil Service grade posts since 30 July 2007; and of these how many such staff are members of the Nuvos pension scheme. | | (244267) | 802
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much revenue generated by Dartford Crossing tolls has been spent on transport infrastructure projects in the surrounding area in the last five years. | | (244064) | 803
| Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the effect of operating train services in the (a) public and (b) private sectors in respect of (i) innovation, (ii) use of new technology, (iii) customer services and (iv) provision of information to customers; and if he will make a statement. | | (244224) | 804
| Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the proportion of road fatalities caused by vehicle equipment malfunction and failure. | | (244038) | 805
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, column 1184W, on departmental manpower, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the differences in the percentage of white staff receiving the highest marking in each annual appraisal round as compared to staff from ethnic minorities. | | (244454) | 806
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of DfT(C)'s staff recorded as being (a) from an ethnic minority and (b) white (i) applied for and (ii) obtained posts within DfT(C) on promotion in each year since DfT(C)'s formation. | | (244455) | 807
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff of each grade recorded as being (a) from an ethnic minority, (b) white and (c) of unknown or undeclared ethnicity transferred into DfT(C) from other parts of his Department or other Government departments in the last two years. | | (244456) | 808
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff of each grade recorded as being (a) from an ethnic minority, (b) white and (c) of unknown or undeclared ethnicity were directly recruited into DfT(C) from outside the Civil Service in the last two years. | | (244457) | 809
| John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Answer of 3 November 2008, Official Report, column 44W, on DfT Rail: secondment, whether the one person seconded from a train operating company to work in DfT Rail was given (a) line management responsibility for civil servants, (b) the right to take disciplinary action against civil servants and (c) the right to complete annual performance reports on civil servants. | | (244458) | 810
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244355) | 811
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to accelerate spending through existing maintenance contracts in line with the Government's plans to increase infrastructure spending. | | (243802) | 812
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will invite the British Rail Residual Property Board to sell for a notional sum to Lancashire County Council the rail track bed between Colne and Foulridge; and if he will make a statement. | | (244163) | 813
| Dr John Pugh (Southport): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many of the additional trains announced in November 2008 are to be allocated to the Northern franchise. | | (244364) | 814
N | Willie Rennie (Dunfermline and West Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many children have been injured while travelling on school buses which were not fitted with seat belts in the last 24 months. | | (243826) | 815
| Mr Laurence Robertson (Tewkesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps the Highways Agency have taken to clear culverts and drains between junctions 8 and 11A of the M5; what long-term maintenance plans are in place to ensure that they remain free-flowing; and if he will make a statement. | | (244416) | 816
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243562) | 817
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243732) | 818
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he expects to bring forward legislative proposals to remove the offence of displaying a UK national flag on number plates; if he will introduce an amnesty for drivers with such number plates in the interim; whether such display will affect the conduct and results of MOT tests in the interim; and if he will make a statement. | | (243077) | 819
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244385) | 820
| Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to upgrade Dartford rail station; and if he will make a statement. | | (243708) | 821
| Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to enable the roll-out of a smart card ticketing scheme on the Southeastern rail network capable of operating alongside Transport for London's Oyster card system; and if he will make a statement. | | (243709) | 822
| Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what fare structure will operate on the domestic rail service between Ebbsfleet and London St Pancras starting in December 2009; and if he will make a statement. | | (243710) | 823
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent representations he has received seeking reductions in levels of noise pollution from Glasgow Airport. | | (243478) | 824
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what level of noise pollution is permitted from each major airport in the UK. | | (243479) | 825
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244025) | 826
| Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 November 2008, Official Report, columns 66-7WS, on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, if he will reverse his plans to reduce the level of the obligation for the 2009-10 obligation period following the discovery of the drafting error in the 2007 Order. | | (244545) | 827
| Ms Dari Taylor (Stockton South): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 13 November 2008, Official Report, columns 66-7WS, on the Draft Renewable Transport Fuel Obligations (Amendment) Order 2009, if he will provide financial compensation for biofuel producers materially affected by the drafting error in the 2007 Order. | | (244547) | 828
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the effects on the North West road network of a temporary closure of the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Halton lasting (a) one week, (b) two weeks and (c) one month. | | (244190) | 829
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding support his Department has provided for the development of rail freight facilities in (a) Halton, (b) Merseyside and (c) Cheshire in the last 12 months. | | (244208) | 830
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the rail freight carrying capacity of the West Coast Main Line. | | (244209) | 831
| Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what percentage of traffic on the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Halton was accounted for by heavy goods vehicles in the latest period for which figures are avaialable. | | (244210) | 832
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential for using heat produced by the London Underground for power generation; and if he will make a statement. | | (243586) | 833
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what consideration he has given to bringing forward publicly-funded capital works commissioned by his Department; and what discussions he has had with Treasury Ministers on the financing of these projects. | | (244275) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 834
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244357) | 835
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243978) | 836
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243560) | 837
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243741) | 838
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244383) | 839
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. | | (244026) | Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality 840
| Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, if she will place in the Library a copy of the Government's submission to the European Court of Human Rights on rights for same-sex couples in Austria; and if she will make a statement. | | (244160) | 841
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, how much was spent by the Government Equalities Office on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms since it was established. | | (244358) | 842
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, if she will make it her policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in the Government's Equalities Office who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244382) | 843
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, what assessment she has made of the recommendations relevant to the Government Equality Office's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if she will make a statement. | | (244020) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 844
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures are in place to ensure religious organisations working under contract with his Department do not discriminate in their employment practices on grounds of (a) religious belief or (b) sexual orientation. | | (243850) | 845
| Mr Graham Allen (Nottingham North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's policy is on whether contracts may be awarded to faith-based organisations which engage the exemptions for religious organisations provided for by the (a) Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and (b) Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003. | | (243887) | 846
| Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Sheffield receive their pensions by direct credit to their bank or building society account. | | (244102) | 847
| Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield, Attercliffe): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners in Sheffield collect their pensions from their local post office. | | (244103) | 848
| Mr Michael Clapham (Barnsley West & Penistone): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will require the Health and Safety Executive to provide guidance to local authorities on the most suitable type of waste management treatment facility taking account of the geography and topology of the area and the nearness to residents of the facility. | | (244218) | 849
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps the Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission plans to take to speed up the enforcement process, with particular reference to non-compliant self-employed non-resident parents. | | (243883) | 850
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department and its agencies apply when determining whether a person receiving benefit is cohabiting with another person; and if he will make a statement. | | (244427) | 851
N | Jim Cousins (Newcastle upon Tyne Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the tariff incomes schedule in means-tested benefits and pension credit following the recent reductions in base interest rates. | | (243938) | 852
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his most recent estimate is of the number of job vacancies (a) in each region and (b) in Blaenau Gwent. | | (243872) | 853
| Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of adults with autism claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) incapacity benefit. | | (244041) | 854
| Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions are in place for employment and support allowance claimants to be accompanied by a support worker, parent or friend to (a) work capability assessment, (b) work-focused, health-related assessment and (c) work focused interviews. | | (244042) | 855
| Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what provisions are in place for incapacity benefit and employment support allowance claimants participating in Pathways to Work to access specialist disability employment services. | | (244043) | 856
| Mrs Janet Dean (Burton): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which member of staff at Jobcentre Plus offices will carry out a claimant's first work-focused interview. | | (244044) | 857
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many new cases have been brought to the Child Support Agency (CSA) in the last 12 months; and how many of these cases the CSA has started maintenance payments. | | (243467) | 858
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have claimed jobseeker's allowance (JSA) in each quarter since 1997; and what proportion in each quarter had been claiming JSA for (a) between 0 and 13 weeks, (b) between 13 and 26 weeks, (c) between 26 and 39 weeks, (d) between 39 and 52 weeks, (e) over 52 weeks and (f) over 104 weeks. | | (243468) | 859
N | Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many unemployment benefit claimants there were in each quarter of the last 30 years. | | (243470) | 860
N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the conclusions of his Department's consideration of the European Court of Justice's ruling on exportable disability benefits were; and if he will make a statement. | | (243060) | 861
N | Mr Roger Gale (North Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many expatriate UK citizens have sought payment of exportable benefits following the ruling of the European Court of Justice on 18 December 2007. | | (243061) | 862
N | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which constituencies are covered by each weather station used to calculate cold weather payments. | | (243133) | 863
N | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) cold weather payments made and (b) recipients of cold weather payments in each of the last five years, broken down by constituency. | | (243134) | 864
N | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answers of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1997W, on jobseeker's allowance, what research analysis his Department has undertaken on the proportion of time jobseeker's allowance claimants spent (a) on benefits and (b) not on benefits or in work over a set period of time, including claimants with more than one benefit claim in the last five years. | | (243218) | 865
N | Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many complaints regarding the advertising of vacancies within the adult entertainment industry have been received from (a) pressure groups, (b) jobseekers who have seen the vacancies advertised, (c) jobseekers who have applied for such vacancies and (d) members of staff in each year since 2003 for which information is available. | | (243219) | 866
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Ministers' official engagements were from 1 November to 30 November 2008. | | (243474) | 867
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much he plans to spend on the Pathways to Work Programme in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11. | | (243476) | 868
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what data is held centrally on the performance of Pathways to Work providers; and if he will make a statement. | | (243477) | 869
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) budget for and (b) expenditure on Access to Work was in each of the last five years. | | (243554) | 870
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the financial impact on Pathways to Work providers and their clients of the period between when a client first moves into employment and their first received earnings; and what plans he has to amend the rules regarding the cessation of benefit payments to individuals immediately upon entering employment. | | (243556) | 871
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the terms and conditions of the new Post Office card account will be; and how they will differ from those under the current contract. | | (243866) | 872
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the negotiation process for the Post Office card account contract to conclude. | | (243867) | 873
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the accessibility of Government websites; and if he will make a statement. | | (243868) | 874
| Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department provides to its managers on the right of employees of the Department to request flexible working; and what estimate his Department has made of the extent to which its staff in offices across the country have taken up this right. | | (244339) | 875
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many recipients of jobseeker's allowance have had that allowance withdrawn following a failure to meet the conditions attached to receipt of the allowance in the last 12 months for which figures are available, broken down by category. | | (243685) | 876
| Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what contracts his Department has with Vertex Data Science. | | (243882) | 877
| Mrs Madeleine Moon (Bridgend): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much was spent by his Department on furniture made by (a) British firms, (b) Remploy and (c) overseas firms in each year since 2000. | | (244359) | 878
N | Mr Mark Oaten (Winchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for which charities his Department has provided funding of more than £100,000 in each of the last three years; and how much was given to each. | | (243138) | 879
| Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the rate of under-reporting of workplace health and safety incidents in Scotland in the last five years. | | (244492) | 880
| Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) Hemel Hempstead, (b) Hertfordshire and (c) the UK which will be eligible for cold weather payments if the temperature falls below the level which triggers payment of allowance in 2008-09. | | (243980) | 881
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance his Department plans to provide to the Woolworth's workforce; and if he will take steps to ensure that Woolworth's observes its statutory obligations with regard to its workforce. | | (244452) | 882
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what plans his Department has to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012. | | (243975) | 883
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions (a) information and (b) data was (i) lost and (ii) stolen from his Department in each year since 1997; and what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of recovering such losses. | | (244045) | 884
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of all benefit claimants have been out of work for more than 10 years in (a) each of the principal seaside towns of England and Wales and (b) each lower layer super output area (LSOA) of the seaside towns of England and Wales, giving each LSOA area. | | (244296) | 885
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria determine whether housing benefit is paid directly to landlords where tenants are (a) mentally ill and (b) vulnerable; and what conditions are attached to such payments. | | (244366) | 886
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding his Department is making available for (a) voluntary sector organisations and (b) local authorities to provide advice on the availability of and eligibility for benefits in 2008-09. | | (244368) | 887
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals in receipt of housing benefit have had their housing benefit paid directly to their landlords on the grounds of (a) vulnerability and (b) mental illness. | | (244370) | 888
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the (a) benefit and (b) incapacity benefit was in (i) each principal seaside town, (ii) each lower layer super output area in each principal seaside town and (iii) the UK (A) in 2004 and (B) at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (244426) | 889
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children were living in absolute low income in each region in each of the last 10 years. | | (244453) | 890
| Joan Ryan (Enfield North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that pension providers are prepared for changes to the regulation of safeguarded rights. | | (243830) | 891
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average clearance time for disability living allowance claims was in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08; and how many claims were cleared in a period longer than the average in each year. | | (244100) | 892
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the amount lost by his Department as a result of (a) benefit fraud and (b) administrative error in Torbay constituency in each of the last five years. | | (244539) | 893
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of new pension credit claims were not processed within 15 days in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. | | (244540) | 894
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of processing (a) jobseekers's allowance and (b) income support was in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. | | (244541) | 895
| Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the cost of processing (a) disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance and (c) carers' allowance was in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08. | | (244542) | 896
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many special advisers were employed in his Department at each pay band on 30 November 2008; and what his Department's total expenditure on special advisers was in 2007-08. | | (243559) | 897
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much his Department has spent on advertising in the last 12 months. | | (243713) | 898
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much has been spent on (a) departmental Christmas parties and (b) staff entertainment in the last three years. | | (243731) | 899
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many EU nationals who have returned from the UK to their own country are in receipt of benefits from the UK. | | (240804) | 900
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice, support and assistance he is providing to people in Essex who are facing redundancy. | | (243668) | 901
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many employment vacancies there are in (a) Castle Point constituency, (b) Essex and (c) London. | | (243812) | 902
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many claims for winter fuel payments were made by households in (a) Essex and (b) Castle Point in each of the last five years. | | (243901) | 903
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the value of unclaimed pension credit to which pensioners in (a) Castle Point and (b) Essex are entitled at the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (243902) | 904
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of pensioners in (a) Castle Point and (b) Essex who were entitled to pension credit but had not claimed it at the latest date for which figures are available. | | (243903) | 905
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make it his policy to ensure that those temporary and permanent employees at the same grade in his Department who are paid at an hourly rate are paid at the same rate. | | (244381) | 906
| Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being, with particular reference to the costs to the benefits system of those with mental ill-health; and if he will make a statement. | | (244028) | 907
| Mr Mark Todd (South Derbyshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has authorised the Child Support Agency's implementation of its agency steer under its Operational Improvement Plan. | | (244000) | 908
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will assess the effects of the policy of ceasing carers' allowance when a carer reaches pensionable age; and if he will make carers allowance available to those of pensionable age. | | (244249) | 909
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many carers had their entitlement to carers' allowance removed as a result of reaching pensionable age in each of the last five years. | | (244250) | 910
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent consideration he has given to increasing the value of the carers' allowance. | | (244279) | 911
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what comparative assessment he has made of the level of carers' allowance in the UK compared to other EU member states who administer a similar allowance for benchmarking purposes. | | (244280) | 912
| Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the policy that prevents higher education students who are also carers keeping their carers' allowance entitlement when they study for more than 21 hours a week. | | (244281) | 913
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what modelling his Department has conducted on economic and labour market conditions in assessing the (a) funding and (b) anticipated employment outcome of the flexible new deal contracts; and if he will make a statement. | | (244047) | 914
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's projections of the number of jobseeker's allowance claimants are for each month of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (244140) | 915
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's projections are of jobseeker's allowance in-flows (a) in total, (b) as a result of lone parents migrating from income support to jobseeker's allowance and (c) as a result of people moving onto jobseeker's allowance as a result of failing the work capability assessment for applying for employment support allowance in each month of each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (244141) | 916
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's projections are of jobseeker's allowance out-flows (a) in total and (b) directly into employment in each month of each of the next three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (244142) | 917
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average income of a lone parent with a single child in receipt of income support was at the latest date for which information is available; and if he will make a statement. | | (244143) | 918
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the average income for a lone parent with a single child in their first year back into work if they worked on average (a) 16 hours, (b) 18 hours, (c) 20 hours, (d) 22 hours, (e) 24 hours, (f) 26 hours, (g) 28 hours, (h) 30 hours, (i) 32 hours, (j) 34 hours, (k) 36 hours, (l) 38 hours and (m) 40 hours, per week in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (244144) | 919
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children are living in relative poverty in a working age single parent family; and how many of them are living in a family in which the adult is (a) working full-time, (b) working part-time and (c) not working, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (244146) | 920
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children are living in relative poverty in a household with more than one working age parent, and how many of them are living in a household in which (a) at least one of the adults is (i) working full-time and (ii) working part-time and (b) neither parent is working, broken down by the smallest geographical area for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (244147) | 921
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the cost of regulation of private sector contracted welfare services for incapacity benefits claimants at a typical investment rate of £62,000 as proposed by David Freud. | | (244200) | 922
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work-focused interviews for each category of benefit he estimates will be conducted in each of the next five years. | | (244201) | 923
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many work-focused interviews for each category of benefit were conducted in each of the last five years. | | (244202) | 924
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what scientific evidential basis has been used by his Department in its analysis of the use of voice risk analysis technology by benefit authorities; and if he will make a statement. | | (244211) | 925
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment of the efficacy of the use of voice risk analysis technology by benefit authorities his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned from (i) independent bodies and (ii) service providing contractors; and what the (A) methodology and (B) conclusions of those assessments is. | | (244212) | 926
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the projected numbers of full time equivalent posts in Jobcentre Plus are in each of the next five years; when the projections were last revised; and what the projections were before that revision. | | (244216) | 927
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what disability impact assessment of the use of voice risk analysis technology in each pilot benefit authority his Department has (a) undertaken and (b) commissioned from (i) independent bodies and (ii) service providing contractors; and what the (A) methodology and (B) conclusions of those assessments are. | | (244217) | 928
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what (a) pilots and (b) pathfinder areas his Department (a) has set up in each of the last two years and (b) plans to set up in each of the next five years; and what the cost of each is. | | (244490) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 929
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure children diagnosed with diabetes may not be excluded from education. | | [Transferred] (244284) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 930
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many unemployed persons in Essex were previously employed in the (a) financial services, (b) hospitality and (c) construction sectors. | | [Transferred] (243811) | 931
| Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the mean gross weekly full-time earnings were for (a) male employees, (b) female employees and (c) all employees according to the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings for people aged (i) under 18, (ii) 18 to 20, (iii) 21 to 24, (iv) 25 to 29, (v) 30 to 39, (vi) 40 to 49, (vii) 50 to 59, (viii) 60 to 64 and (ix) 65 and over in each year between 1997 and 2007. | | [Transferred] (243711) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 932
| Mr Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, on what dates (a) the draft Renewables Obligation Order 2009 and (b) the Government's Response to the consultation on the Order were published. | | [Transferred] (244229) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 933
N | Willie Rennie (Dunfermline and West Fife): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department takes to monitor the behaviour of individuals employed by private security companies operating in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. | | [Transferred] (243885) | 934
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of those who were made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in each of the last 10 years attended (a) independent and (b) state schools; and how many attended (i) Oxford and Cambridge and (ii) other universities. | | [Transferred] (244269) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 935
N | Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what her latest estimate of the number of foreign nationals working illegally in Northern Ireland is. | | [Transferred] (243695) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 936
| Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will estimate the number of (a) ex-offenders living in the principal seaside towns, (b) ex-offenders per 10,000 population in such towns and (c) ex-offenders per 10,000 population nationally. | | [Transferred] (244316) |
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