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Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Thursday 5 February 2009
(the 'Questions Book')
Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 5 February 2009
This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Thursday 5 February of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department. For other Written Questions for answer on Thursday 5 February of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper. For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Thursday 5 February see Part 2 of this paper.
Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 1
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the proposed timetable for the publication of the Government's low-carbon industrial strategy is. | | (255204) | 2
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps he is taking to increase take-up of the Export Credits Guarantee Department's £50 million annual underwriting fund for the renewable energy industry. | | (255205) | 3
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether the support package for the automotive industry includes elements of support for the development of (a) plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and (b) vehicle to grid smart charging technology. | | (255207) | 4
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps the Export Credits Guarantee Department is taking to support renewable energy exports. | | (255208) | 5
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps UK Trade and Investment is taking to support the renewable energy industry. | | (255209) | 6
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what discussions his Department has had with other Government departments on its review of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations. | | (251755) | 7
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what assessment for benchmarking purposes his Department has made of the implementation of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in other EU member states. | | (251756) | 8
N | Mr David Chaytor (Bury North): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will publish each of the producer compliance schemes established under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations; and how much waste equipment (a) is required to be collected and (b) was collected in the latest period for which figures are available under each scheme. | | (251757) | 9
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many overseas visits have been made by each of the business ambassadors since 3 October 2008; and what the cost of (a) flights, (b) accommodation, (c) gifts and (d) other expenses was for each such visit. | | (254631) | 10
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost of running the business ambassadors' secretariat within UK Trade and Investment has been since 3 October 2008; and what proportion of that cost has been for (a) secretariat staff salaries and (b) other expenses. | | (254632) | 11
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost of (a) flights, (b) accommodation, (c) gifts and (d) other expenses was for the visit by the Secretary of State, the Minister for Economic Competitiveness and Small Business and Minister for Trade, Investment and Consumer Affairs to the Davos summit in January 2009; and how many departmental staff accompanied them. | | (254633) | 12
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost of (a) flights, (b) accommodation, (c) gifts and (d) other expenses was for the Secretary of State's visit to Russia in October 2008; and how many departmental staff accompanied him. | | (254634) | 13
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost was of (a) flights, (b) accommodation, (c) gifts and (d) other expenses for the Secretary of State's visit to the Gulf region in November 2008; and how many departmental staff accompanied him. | | (254635) | 14
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the cost was of (a) flights, (b) accommodation, (c) gifts and (d) other expenses for the Secretary of State's visit to India in January 2009; and how many departmental staff accompanied him. | | (254671) | 15
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255060) | 16
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255244) | 17
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, within what period and upon what terms organisations fined by Ofcom are required to make payment. | | (254786) | 18
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what estimate he has made of the monetary value of Sport England's share in the Sports Council Trust Company. | | (254787) | 19
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how much his Department has spent on flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254870) | 20
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will increase the funding available under the Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme. | | (254905) | 21
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many people were declared bankrupt in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years. | | (254911) | 22
| Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will bring forward proposals to (a) prohibit employers from operating a mandatory requirement age and (b) remove the national default retirement age provided for in the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006. | | (254950) | 23
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many companies from other EU member states with contracts in the UK have brought a workforce of non-UK nationals to the UK in each of the last four years. | | (254839) | 24
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254740) | 25
| Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many people have applied for (a) bankruptcy and (b) an individual voluntary arrangement in (i) North West Cambridgeshire, (ii) Cambridgeshire, (iiii) the East of England and (iv) England and Wales in each of the last 10 years. | | (254863) | 26
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what UK-owned (a) companies and (b) construction companies are taking part in major infrastructure projects in each other EU member state; and if he will make a statement. | | (254947) | 27
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many redundancies from positions in the pharmaceutical industry in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the North West and (c) Macclesfield constituency have been notified to his Department in the last 12 months. | | (255049) | 28
| Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many redundancies in the commercial vehicle manufacturing industry have been notified to his Department in the last 12 months. | | (255050) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 29
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will freeze beer duty; and if he will make a statement. | | (255095) | 30
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will review of the effect of his Department's alcohol excise policy on social clubs; and if he will make a statement. | | (255097) | 31
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of companies which have not passed on the recent reduction in value added tax to 15 per cent. to customers; and if he will make a statement. | | (255098) | 32
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his definition of the low-carbon sector is as referred to in the Pre-Budget Report 2008. | | (255081) | 33
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what fiscal incentives are available for the research and development of low-carbon technologies. | | (255082) | 34
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment the Government has made of the merits of provision of loan guarantees by nationalised and part-nationalised banks for energy infrastructure projects. | | (255083) | 35
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much pooled funding is available to support cross-departmental co-operation on building a low-carbon economy. | | (255084) | 36
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his definition is of the UK's environmental industries as referred to in the Pre-Budget Report 2008. | | (255085) | 37
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress has been made in discussions at EU level on reducing the rate of value added tax on energy-efficient products and energy-saving materials in the EU. | | (255086) | 38
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the evidential basis is of the estimate in the Pre-Budget Report 2008 that over the next 20 years more than one million people could be employed in the UK's environmental industries. | | (255087) | 39
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the level of uptake of research and development tax credits by (a) clean technology companies and (b) green technology companies was in 2008-09. | | (255088) | 40
| Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the full-year cost to the Exchequer for (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12 of simultaneously reducing the starting and basic rate of tax on savings income to zero and increasing age-related personal allowances by £2,000. | | (254795) | 41
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who owns the foreshore in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) Wales, (e) Cornwall and (f) the Isles of Scilly. | | (254698) | 42
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what proportion of valued added tax (VAT) registered traders who are eligible to use VAT cash accounting do not use it. | | (255051) | 43
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the annual (a) revenue cost and (b) cash flow impact on the Exchequer of making value added tax (VAT) cash accounting available to all VAT-registered traders. | | (255052) | 44
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255064) | 45
| Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 586W, on departmental training, what the (a) cost, (b) duration and (c) nature was of each of the courses undertaken; and which Ministers attended each. | | (254869) | 46
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255221) | 47
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the authorities in Iceland on payments to UK depositors in Icelandic banks; what assessment he has made of the position of these depositors in respect of compensation for monies lost; and if he will make a statement. | | (254757) | 48
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what renovation and refurbishment works have been carried out on the HM Revenue and Customs' offices in (a) Blackburn and (b) St Helens in the last 12 months; and at what cost. | | (254759) | 49
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people have received child tax credits in (a) the UK, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since they were introduced. | | (254912) | 50
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was paid out in child tax credits in (a) the UK, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since they were introduced. | | (254913) | 51
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what allocations have been made from the contingency reserve for (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. | | (255003) | 52
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department is taking to facilitate public sector capital investment projects facing delays due to the recent problems in the financial markets; and if he will make a statement. | | (255280) | 53
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his estimate is of the level of public sector net investment in real terms, using 2006-07 prices, for each year from 2005-06 to 2014-15; and if he will make a statement. | | (255289) | 54
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what capital adequacy ratio banks are required to maintain. | | (254944) | 55
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority received a qualified audit report on their 2007-08 accounts. | | (254945) | 56
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Government has spent on (a) equity, (b) preference shares, (c) loans, (d) guarantees and (e) other financial support to each bank for which it has provided support. | | (254946) | 57
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what compensation has been provided by the Government to (a) individuals, (b) local authorities and (c) charities who had deposits with (i) Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, (ii) Heritable and (iii) IceSave. | | (255008) | 58
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority bought consultancy services from their auditors in the last two years. | | (255255) | 59
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many accountancy firms have been investigated for selling tax avoidance schemes in the last 12 months. | | (255257) | 60
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much tax has been repatriated to the UK by each country adopting the withholding tax option under the EU Savings Tax Directive. | | (255258) | 61
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will publish his Department's analysis of the 2007 accounts published by banks regulated by the Financial Services Authority. | | (255260) | 62
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on consumer spending in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituencies of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. | | (255037) | 63
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect on the Cumbrian economy of the reduction in the rate of value added tax to 15 per cent. | | (255038) | 64
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse to cease reducing the age-related allowance for people (a) between 65 and 74 and (b) over 75 years old when their income exceeds the income limit. | | (255268) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families 65
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps his Department is taking to encourage teachers to take responsibility for planning their own continuing professional development. | | (254704) | 66
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department has spent on (a) primary and (b) secondary school buildings in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years. | | (254674) | 67
| 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 children in West Chelmsford constituency abused whilst subject to a child protection plan in each of the last five years. | | (254754) | 68
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools in (a) Lancashire and (b) England are planned to have energy efficiency improvements under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and what estimate he has made of the consequential (i) carbon dioxide emissions avoided and (ii) savings in energy bills. | | (254194) | 69
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools in (a) Lancashire and (b) England have had energy efficiency improvements under the Building Schools for the Future programme; and what estimate he has made of the consequential (i) carbon dioxide emissions avoided and (ii) savings in energy bills. | | (254195) | 70
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255079) | 71
| Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what criteria are used when assessing whether a foreign language should be approved as a new GCSE subject. | | (254796) | 72
| Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, if he will support the introduction of a foreign language (a) GCSE and (b) A Level qualification in Serbian. | | (254797) | 73
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255227) | 74
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, with reference to his Department's press release of 21 November 2008, on funding for music in schools, how many new musical instruments have been bought with the funds announced. | | (254392) | 75
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much of the planned £40 million expenditure over four years on new musical instruments announced by his Department on 21 November 2007 has been spent. | | (254455) | 76
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many colleges were established with music as a (a) first, (b) second and (c) combined specialism in each of the last three years. | | (254788) | 77
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many (a) unique visitors and (b) hits the Sing Up website has received in each month since it was established. | | (254789) | 78
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many colleges listed music as a (a) first, (b) second and (c) combined specialism in each of the last three years. | | (254790) | 79
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department has spent on flowers in each year since its establishment. | | (254872) | 80
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps his Department takes to ensure that the functioning of schools is not affected by the process of recruiting new headteachers. | | (254889) | 81
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of time spent by school children playing computer games and watching television on their school performance. | | (254893) | 82
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that primary school children are not put under too much pressure academically. | | (254903) | 83
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what measures his Department has introduced to improve levels of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy in the North East since 1997. | | (254910) | 84
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on schools: standards, what methodology is used in calculating the level of financial support provided for each national challenge school. | | (254865) | 85
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which national challenge schools have received no national challenge funding since June 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (254867) | 86
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, in how many and what proportion of schools where the proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is (a) less than 10 per cent., (b) 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. and (c) over 20 per cent. Ofsted has evaluated teaching as (i) inadequate, (ii) satisfactory, (iii) good and (iv) outstanding in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (254868) | 87
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many schools are planned to be re-built under the Building Schools for the Future programme in each year from 2009 to 15; and if he will make a statement. | | (255004) | 88
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which Building Schools for the Future school designs have been assessed as (a) excellent, (b) good, (c) not yet good enough and (d) mediocre by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment; and if he will make a statement. | | (255005) | 89
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the average (a) length and (b) cost to the public purse of the bidding process at Building Schools for the Future projects has been; and if he will make a statement. | | (255006) | 90
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many Building Schools for the Future projects are (a) on time and (b) behind schedule; and if he will make a statement. | | (255261) | 91
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much capital spending has been brought forward by his Department to (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 for (i) Building Schools for the Future and (ii) all other capital spending; and if he will make a statement. | | (255266) | 92
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his estimate was on 1 April 2008 of capital expenditure on schools in (a) 2008-09 and (b) 2009-10 for (i) Building Schools for the Future and (ii) all other schools capital spending; what his latest estimate is of the likely outturns for 2008-09 and 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. | | (255269) | 93
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the economic downturn on the delivery of private finance initiative contracts relating to the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (255277) | 94
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what steps Partnerships for Schools is taking to support the Schools Capital programme in the current economic situation; and if he will make a statement. | | (255279) | 95
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the (a) actual and (b) target period of time is from invitations to bid to the signing of a contract for each Building Schools for the Future contract for the period 2006 to January 2009; and if he will make a statement. | | (255283) | 96
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which schools constructed under the Building Schools for the Future programme were planned to open between December 2008 and December 2010; when he expects each such school to open; and if he will make a statement. | | (255284) | 97
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, when he expects his Department to meet its target of raising the level of funding per state school pupil to the level of funding per pupil in the private sector; and if he will make a statement. | | (255286) | 98
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether it is the Government's policy that education spending should continue to rise as a share of gross domestic product; and if he will make a statement. | | (255287) | 99
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether he plans to bring forward additional capital expenditure on schools; and if he will make a statement. | | (255294) | 100
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many of the 17 early adopter local authorities for ContactPoint raised concerns about shielding in their most recent monthly assessment. | | (254531) | 101
N | Mr Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what powers Partnership for Schools has to prevent individual schools opting out of proposals for authority-wide ICT programmes in favour of submitting an Alternative Business Procurement Case. | | (252688) | Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 102
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which Permanent Secretaries will reach standard retirement age in the next five years. | | (255040) | 103
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what percentage of members of the Senior Civil Service will reach standard retirement age in the next five years. | | (255041) | 104
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group in each region died from an alcohol-related illness in 2007. | | (255200) | 105
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255080) | 106
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255225) | 107
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much the Cabinet Office has spent on flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254871) | 108
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many households contained no one in (a) work and (b) full-time work in each quarter of the last two years. | | (255125) | 109
N | Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will establish a register of lobbyists to record (a) representations made by lobbyists, (b) salaries of lobbyists, (c) each lobbying event involving a Minister and (d) the subject of each lobbying event. | | (254457) | 110
N | Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will include in the list of posts deemed suitable for pre-appointment scrutiny all (a) public sector regulators, (b) permanent secretaries of Government departments, (c) heads of the judiciary and (d) heads of the police and security services. | | (254621) | 111
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254745) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 112
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what powers are available to local authorities to provide business rate relief to assist small businesses. | | (255291) | 113
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to ensure that local authorities pass on the reduction in the rate of value added tax to small businesses and council tax payers. | | (255292) | 114
| Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government has taken to assist local authorities during the economic downturn. | | (255293) | 115
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what (a) grant allocations and (b) other funding her Department (i) has paid and (ii) plans to pay to each fire authority in each region during each year of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review period. | | (255090) | 116
| Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwellings there were in the Eastern Region in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. | | (254845) | 117
| Nadine Dorries (Mid Bedfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many empty dwellings there were in Mid-Bedfordshire constituency in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. | | (254846) | 118
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the percentage increase was in the local government finance settlement for the London Borough of Bexley in each year since 1997. | | (254803) | 119
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding for 2000-2006 was unspent (a) in each Government Office region and (b) in each EDRF programme; and if she will make a statement. | | (254620) | 120
N | Julia Goldsworthy (Falmouth & Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations her Department received from (a) regional development agencies, (b) Government offices of the regions, (c) local authorities and (d) Objective 1 and 2 convergence partnerships on the extension to the deadline offered to all EU countries to spend unused 2000-2006 European regional development funds; and if she will make a statement. | | (254623) | 121
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1510W, on redundancy, what estimate she has made of the annual payroll savings resulting from staff exit schemes in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09 excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for 2009-10. | | (254461) | 122
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many new recruits her Department took on in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09, how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate she has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11. | | (254466) | 123
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many equalities impact assessments her Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255078) | 124
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the letters of 4 December and 30 December from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on the fees levied by local authorities in respect of discharge of planning conditions, reference FD5970. | | (254528) | 125
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether Ministers in her Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255226) | 126
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent by her Department on (a) pot plants since 1 March 2008 and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254873) | 127
| Mr Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool, Walton): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reasons her Department declined to accept an extension on spending deadlines for England for European structural funding in England; what estimate she has made of the amount of money under such structural funding provisions for England unspent as at 31 December 2008; and if she will make a statement. | | (254952) | 128
| Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much (a) revenue support, (b) capital grant and (c) supported borrowing funding central Government has paid to (i) Kent County Council, (ii) Thanet District Council and (iii) Dover District Council in 2008-09; and how much is planned in each case for 2009-10. | | (255091) | 129
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many people were employed by each local authority in England in each year since 1996-97. | | (254761) | 130
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which recommendations of the Killian-Pretty review of planning she plans to implement. | | (254762) | 131
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects the Shareholder Executive to report on its examination of the operation of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. | | (254763) | 132
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether blank advertising hoardings qualify for the empty property business rate relief for rateable values under £15,000. | | (254764) | 133
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many public engagements inherited by the Minister for Housing upon her appointment have subsequently been cancelled. | | (254765) | 134
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to make changes to the formula governing distribution of revenue from non-domestic rates to local authorities from 2010. | | (254766) | 135
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what planning policy guidance is in force in relation to the use of car parking charges in developments to encourage alternative modes of transport. | | (254767) | 136
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 19 November 2008, Official Report, columns 509-10W, on local authorities: debt collection, whether the local authority enforcement powers for council tax include the use of bailiffs to undertake peaceful entry to collect unpaid council tax. | | (254768) | 137
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued on whether panels of representatives of local persons set up under the Sustainable Communities Act 2007 can include elected councillors. | | (254769) | 138
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what criteria her Department plans to apply for deciding on the use of referendums to promote community empowerment. | | (254770) | 139
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether Local Authority Leaders' Boards will be based in the Government Office regions. | | (254771) | 140
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she has written to local authorities on the use of their powers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act in the last three months. | | (254772) | 141
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the combined authorities proposed in the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill will have powers to levy (a) a council tax precept, (b) a congestion charge, (c) workplace parking charges and (d) local road pricing charges. | | (254773) | 142
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will place in the Library a copy of her Department's most recent Euro changeover Plan; and on what date the plan was last updated. | | (254849) | 143
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what her Department's policy is on the payment of interest in respect of overpaid council tax resulting from a Valuation Office Agency banding error. | | (254850) | 144
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department has allocated to each housing market renewal pathfinder for each of the next three years. | | (254851) | 145
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the average cost of a (a) new build, (b) refurbishment, (c) acquisition and (d) demolition in a housing market renewal pathfinder in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (254852) | 146
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department will provide to local authorities in respect of their new duty to promote democracy in the next 12 months. | | (254853) | 147
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance her Department has issued to local housing authorities under section 226 of the Housing Act 2004; and when such guidance was last issued or revised. | | (254854) | 148
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what planning advice or guidance her Department and its predecessors have issued to local planning authorities on diversity and equality in planning since 1997. | | (254855) | 149
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what eligibility criteria will be applied to applicants to the Mortgage Rescue Scheme. | | (254856) | 150
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what funding her Department is providing to each local authority under the most recent round of Growth Funding (a) in cash terms and (b) per capita. | | (254857) | 151
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of operational fire appliances carry defibrillators. | | (254858) | 152
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether any datasets held by her Department and its agencies have been processed by contractors operating outside the Europen Economic Area in the last three years. | | (254859) | 153
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what changes have been made to maximum parking standards for (a) residential and (b) non-residential development since 1997. | | (254860) | 154
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Onger of 2 June 2008, Official Report, column 533W, on council tax, what methodology her Department used to calculate the average parish council tax precept of £45 on Band D, as referred to in the Answer of 14 June 2007, Official Report, column 1169W, on council tax; and if she will use the same methodology to calculate a figure for 2008-09. | | (255009) | 155
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.16 of the Pre-Budget Report 2008, whether businesses which pay their liability in instalments will be required to declare backdated business rates bills as liabilities for accounting purposes. | | (255055) | 156
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what targets for new traveller sites have been included in each draft regional spatial strategy. | | (255187) | 157
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 18 November 2008, Official Report, columns 376-9W, on departmental contracts, what the timetable is for the completion of the Contact Point for the North West Territorial Co-operation Programme; to whom the contract was awarded and at what cost; and what the full project specification is. | | (255189) | 158
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey South West of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1491W, on departmental mass media, for what reasons her Department is monitoring the media for the keywords of 'civil unrest'. | | (255190) | 159
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Surrey South West of 26 November 2008, Official Report, column 1491W, on departmental mass media, on what date Durrants was instructed by her Department to monitor the keywords 'Haringey Social Services'. | | (255191) | 160
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 18 November 2008, Official Report, columns 376-9W, on departmental contracts, what the timetable is for the completion of the Enabling Most Efficient Information Sharing Across Government Project; to whom the contract was awarded and at what cost; and what the full project specification of the research is. | | (255194) | 161
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when the Infrastructure Planning Commission will start assessing planning applications; and what the target time is for the Commission to process such applications. | | (255214) | 162
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate she has made of the number of people who have (a) a mortgage on a domestic property and (b) own a property outright. | | (255215) | 163
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many individual businesses have been notified by the Valuation Office Agency of (a) an increase in their rateable value and (b) a rateable value which previously was not levied in each of the 55 ports in England and Wales. | | (255216) | 164
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the (a) maximum proportion and (b) cash value is of mortgage interest payments that can be deferred under the mortgage rescue scheme announced on 3 December 2008; and whether capital repayments can be deferred under the scheme. | | (255219) | 165
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of the effects of energy prices on local authority costs. | | (255220) | 166
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what consultancy advice (a) the Town and Country Planning Association, (b) Mr Jim Duggan and (c) Mr David Locke are providing to her Department on eco-towns; and at what cost in each case. | | (255250) | 167
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many legal proceedings naming her Department as a defending party have been (a) filed, (b) concluded and (c) dismissed in each of the last five years. | | (255251) | 168
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what qualifying conditions apply for ports to be eligible to pay retrospective business rates back over time. | | (255252) | 169
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the information on domestic properties provided by the Rightmove interface to the Valuation Office Agency includes property attribute information on the number of (a) bathrooms, (b) bedrooms and (c) parking spaces as part of the property. | | (255290) | 170
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been given to local authorities on the use of section 106 agreements to levy lump-sum charges on household extensions. | | (255295) | 171
| Robert Neill (Bromley & Chislehurst): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much has been spent on the FireControl project; and what further expenditure is expected until the time when all regional fire control centres become operational. | | (255296) | 172
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the average cost has been of the homes brought into use as affordable housing through the Clearing House Programme. | | (254825) | 173
| Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what proportion of the 4,800 homes brought into use as affordable housing through the Clearing House Programme are flats. | | (254826) | 174
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by her Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254742) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 175
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many premises authorising the sale or supply of alcohol by means of a premises licence or a club premises certificate closed during each of the last five years. | | (255048) | 176
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when (a) he and (b) the Minister for Tourism last met the head of tourism in each of the nine regions of England. | | (254453) | 177
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will make a statement on the wish list his Department has requested from VisitBritain in relation to helping tourism to Britain during the economic downturn. | | (254560) | 178
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much English Heritage has spent per capita for each region in each of the last five years. | | (255193) | 179
| Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on how many occasions in the last five years he and his predecessors have met the Football Association to discuss (a) alleged irregularities in and (b) unusual betting activity on football matches; and if he will make a statement. | | (254701) | 180
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255077) | 181
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255223) | 182
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many applications to the fund established to support the professional development of music teachers were received in each of the last three years; how many applicants were granted funding; and how many have subsequently completed programmes so funded. | | (254393) | 183
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has spent on the scheme to fund professional development of music teachers in each of the last three years. | | (254394) | 184
N | Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has paid to Fast Track to date for its work on the Medal Hopes scheme; and how much he expects to pay in each of the next three years. | | (254397) | 185
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the Digital Britain Summit in April 2009; and where he expects the event to take place. | | (254778) | 186
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what original research has been commissioned by the Digital Britain Review; which organisations and individuals have been commissioned to conduct such research; what the estimated cost of each project is; and what plans he has to publish the outcomes of such research. | | (254779) | 187
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much funding for elite sport has been raised by the Medal Hopes scheme to date; and how much he expects to be raised by the scheme in each of the next three years. | | (254780) | 188
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department has paid to Fast Track for its work on the Medal Hopes scheme to date; and how much he expects to pay to Fast Track for such work in each of the next three years. | | (254781) | 189
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 1090W, on departmental plants, which organisations provided services to his Department related to the provision of (a) plants and (b) flowers. | | (254801) | 190
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what Digital Britain events are planned to take place in (a) Wales, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland and (d) England in the next 12 months; and how much is planned to be spent on staging each such event. | | (254809) | 191
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department plans to provide financial support to local newspapers in the North East. | | (254896) | 192
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if he will provide free television licences for poor families. | | (254898) | 193
| Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many Second World War pill boxes have been given statutory designation; and if he will make a statement. | | (254923) | 194
| Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he has taken to (a) record and (b) preserve defence structures from the Second World War; and if he will make a statement. | | (254924) | 195
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254746) | 196
| Mr Edward Vaizey (Wantage): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average attendance figures for each theatre in England that was in receipt of a grant from the Arts Council was in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (255012) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence 197
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what naval resources he (a) has deployed and (b) plans to deploy to (i) the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia and (ii) the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gaza. | | (254685) | 198
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British armed forces have used white phosphorus munitions in (a) Iraq since 2003 and (b) Afghanistan since 2001. | | (254686) | 199
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the UK has made any exports of white phosphorus munitions in the last 10 years. | | (254687) | 200
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when white phosphorus munitions were last used in action by British armed forces; and in what circumstances they were used. | | (254688) | 201
| Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of the costs for contractors working on the defence training establishment proposed for St Athan of providing all their services bilingually under the terms of the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order. | | (254702) | 202
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255076) | 203
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the maximum monthly allowance in addition to basic salary is for civilian employees of his Department working in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. | | (254919) | 204
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much training Royal Air Force (a) navigators and (b) flight engineers receive for their performance of those roles each year. | | (254921) | 205
| Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with representatives from the defence industry about the proposed Arms Trade Treaty. | | (255007) | 206
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255222) | 207
| Mr Gerald Howarth (Aldershot): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has any plans to order battlefield evacuation vehicles in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (254996) | 208
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much his Department has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254874) | 209
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chesterfield of 24 November 2008, Official Report, columns 897-8W, on departmental ICT, how many internal investigations have been held into the (a) loss or theft and (b) recovery of (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) hard drives; and how many such investigations related to the loss of material classified as (A) confidential, (B) secret and (C) top secret in 2008. | | (255054) | 210
N | Dr Andrew Murrison (Westbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) original and (b) revised estimate of the value of defence estates to be sold under package 1 of the Defence Training Review was. | | (253094) | 211
| Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many military tattoos are held each year in the UK; and at which locations they are held. | | (254926) | 212
| Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will bring forward proposals to increase the number of military tattoos held each year; and if he will make a statement. | | (254927) | 213
| Mr Gary Streeter (South West Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he expects to be able to announce the decison on where to baseport the Royal Navy's frigates. | | (254864) | 214
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what criteria were used to determine the successful bidder for the Royal Navy contract entitled Specialist Vessel Requirement S&MO CB/3193; and if he will make a statement. | | (254449) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 215
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what work the (a) Energy Markets Unit, (b) Energy Development Unit, (c) Renewable Energy and Innovation Unit and (d) Cleaner Fossil Fuels Unit (i) has undertaken and (ii) plans to undertake. | | (255119) | 216
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what work the Energy Strategy and International (a) 1 and (b) 2 Unit has undertaken; and what further work is planned for each. | | (255120) | 217
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what funding the Government has provided for BP's proposed carbon capture and storage power plant in Peterhead, Scotland. | | (255121) | 218
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress has been made on developing a carbon accounting framework. | | (255139) | 219
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the objectives are of developing a carbon accounting framework. | | (255140) | 220
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to encourage the distributed energy distribution network use of system charging on a cost reflective basis. | | (255141) | 221
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to encourage small suppliers of distributed energy to operate on the public electricity distribution network. | | (255142) | 222
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to reduce the burden of licensing regulation on small distributed energy operators. | | (255143) | 223
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to assist distributed energy operators to interact with the electricity system on a cost-proportionate basis. | | (255144) | 224
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what work the Distributed Energy Working Group has undertaken; and what further work is planned. | | (255145) | 225
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what work his Department has undertaken on heat markets and district heating; and what further work is planned. | | (255146) | 226
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on taking into account energy and climate change-related threats in the European Security Strategy. | | (255147) | 227
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the average time taken by his Department to answer parliamentary questions for (a) ordinary and (b) named day Written Answer was in the latest period for which information is available. | | (255148) | 228
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancies there have been in his Department since its creation. | | (255149) | 229
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the contribution to the UK balance of payments of the UK oil and gas sector. | | (255150) | 230
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many members of staff in his Department are subject to a performance-based bonus system. | | (255151) | 231
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into the generation of hydrogen from biomass. | | (255152) | 232
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into new hydrogen storage materials. | | (255153) | 233
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the implications of the European Court of Justice's ruling in the Citiworks case for achievement of the Government's targets for carbon dioxide emissions reduction. | | (255154) | 234
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into enzymatic fuel cells. | | (255155) | 235
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into microbial fuel cells. | | (255156) | 236
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into excitonic solar cells. | | (255157) | 237
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into fuel cell integrity. | | (255158) | 238
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into highly distributed power systems. | | (255159) | 239
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether he plans to appoint a Chief Engineering Adviser in his Department. | | (255160) | 240
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department will establish a performance and efficiency programme. | | (255161) | 241
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department will undertake a capability review. | | (255162) | 242
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when his Department will publish its corporate plan. | | (255163) | 243
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, when the Government will publish a national policy statement for gas storage. | | (255164) | 244
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent meetings Ministers and officials from his Department have had with representatives of the United Nations Environment Programme on energy and climate change related matters. | | (255165) | 245
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to improve the implementation of the Home Energy Conservation Act 1995. | | (255166) | 246
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many people have a @decc.gsi.gov.uk email account. | | (255167) | 247
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what policies his Department has in place to achieve carbon dioxide emissions reductions in the agricultural sector. | | (255169) | 248
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of private finance initiative credits for energy infrastructure projects. | | (255170) | 249
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent meetings Ministers and officials from his Department have had with their Czech counterparts to discuss the energy and climate change priorities of the Czech Presidency of the European Union. | | (255172) | 250
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment the Government has made of the potential contribution of broadband communications to the development of a smart grid electricity network. | | (255174) | 251
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of the UK's contribution to the International Renewable Energy Agency. | | (255175) | 252
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what his Department's research and development budget in support of research into clean energy is in the next 12 months. | | (255178) | 253
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what research his Department has conducted into the scale of polar icepack melting in the Northwest Passage. | | (255188) | 254
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent assessment he has made of the availability of debt finance for investment in energy infrastructure projects. | | (255192) | 255
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to develop the southern corridor for gas supplies from Central Asia. | | (255195) | 256
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to encourage the diversification of energy supply routes. | | (255196) | 257
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what efficiency savings have been made by his Department since its creation. | | (255198) | 258
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether he plans to review the viability of the Nord Stream pipeline project. | | (255199) | 259
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking with his EU counterparts to ensure energy interconnection between countries. | | (255202) | 260
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what cost savings his Department has made since its creation. | | (255206) | 261
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the proposed timetable for the establishment of a financial support mechanism for renewable heat is. | | (255210) | 262
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department is taking to increase liquidity in wholesale gas and electricity markets. | | (255211) | 263
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps his Department is taking to develop gas storage capacity. | | (255212) | 264
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what his definition of the National Balancing Point is. | | (255213) | 265
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on UK energy demand. | | (255218) | 266
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent estimate he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on the future development of an infrastructure for energy. | | (255256) | 267
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether his Department has conducted a recent survey of the level of staff morale within his Department. | | (255276) | 268
N | Mr Douglas Carswell (Harwich): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what funding for loft and cavity wall insulation for (a) priority groups and (b) older people will be made available to Tendring residents. | | (253977) | 269
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Castle Point of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 419W, on coal: imports, what estimate he has made of (a) the amount of energy consumed and (b) the volume of carbon dioxide emissions produced in transporting the coal imported into the UK in 2007. | | (254048) | 270
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255075) | 271
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255241) | 272
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers since it was established. | | (254875) | 273
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps the Government is taking to help British businesses develop renewable energy technologies. | | (254904) | 274
| Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made in co-ordinating arrangements to oversee the roll-out of smart meters. | | (254806) | 275
| Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made in developing a model for the roll-out of smart meters. | | (254807) | 276
| Dr Alan Whitehead (Southampton, Test): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what progress his Department has made in determining a standard specification for smart meters. | | (254808) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 277
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his EU counterparts on the consistent application of EU legislation on agriculture across all member states. | | (254677) | 278
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to grant cruiseway status to the Kennet and Avon Canal. | | (254678) | 279
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what policies his Department has to achieve carbon dioxide emissions reductions in the agricultural sector. | | (255168) | 280
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times officials from his Department have met representatives from (a) Tesco, (b) Sainsbury's, (c) Morrisons and (d) Asda to discuss the introduction of a supermarket Ombudsman in the last 24 months. | | (254568) | 281
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 316W, on agriculture: subsidies, how much was given to each of the 10 claimants. | | (254570) | 282
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 332W, on redundancy, what estimate he has made of the annual payroll savings resulting from staff exit schemes in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09 excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for 2009-10. | | (254460) | 283
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many new recruits his Department took on in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09; how many of these were taken on as (i) permanent, (ii) temporary and (iii) agency staff; and what estimate he has made of the equivalent figures for (A) 2009-10 and (B) 2010-11. | | (254465) | 284
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255074) | 285
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255228) | 286
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254876) | 287
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will make it his policy to set targets for local authorities on the recycling of trade waste; and if he will make a statement. | | (254984) | 288
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many councils he expects to meet their targets for recycling of household waste by 2020; and what assistance is available to local authorities to meet such targets. | | (254985) | 289
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of recycling credits as a means of assisting local authorities to reach their targets on recycling; and if he will extend the scheme to include trade and other industrial waste. | | (254986) | 290
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme on levels of (a) collection and (b) disposal of trade waste; for what reasons the scheme does not apply to private contractors operating on landfill sites; and if he will make a statement. | | (254987) | 291
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) effect of producer responsiblity packaging regulations on methods of collection of glass from commercial premises and (b) adequacy of the compliance schemes established under the regulations; and how many such schemes (i) are operational and (ii) have been discontinued. | | (254988) | 292
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the amount of trade waste collected by (a) local authorities and (b) private waste contractors under licence in each of the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. | | (254989) | 293
| Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the average cost to local authorities in (a) rural and (b) urban areas of separating household and trade waste by weight in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. | | (255019) | 294
N | Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many prosecutions there have been in each of the last five calendar years for offences under Part III of the Clean Air Act 1993. | | (252146) | 295
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254744) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 296
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 604W, on the Middle East: armed conflict, what the reasons are for the Government's policy on this matter; and if he will make a statement. | | (255014) | 297
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on war crimes allegedly committed by the government of Israel during Operation Cast Lead; and if he will make a statement. | | (255106) | 298
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports the Government has received on war crimes allegedly committed by Hamas during Operation Cast Lead; and if he will make a statement. | | (255107) | 299
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of civilians who were allegedly (a) killed and (b) injured (i) in booby-trapped houses and (ii) by bombs placed by Hamas in the Gaza Strip during the recent hostilities; and if he will make a statement. | | (255108) | 300
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the number of (a) rockets and (b) mortar shells fired at Israel since 18 January 2009; and if he will make a statement. | | (255109) | 301
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart about proposals for dialogue between the US and the Taleban in Afghanistan. | | (254682) | 302
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart about international terrorism. | | (254683) | 303
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Indian counterpart about Jammu Kashmir. | | (254684) | 304
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Turkish counterpart on recent events in Gaza. | | (254693) | 305
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has received notification from the United States administration in the last six months of any US transfer of armaments to Israel through UK airspace. | | (254694) | 306
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to visit the Falkland Islands. | | (254695) | 307
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has met his Cuban counterpart; and whether he plans to visit Cuba to discuss UK-Cuban relations. | | (254696) | 308
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what activities the UK Climate Security Envoy for Vulnerable Countries has undertaken since his appointment. | | (255171) | 309
| Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions his Department has had with the government of (a) the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and (b) Rwanda regarding the joint military operation involving their two countries in the East of the DRC; and if he will make a statement. | | (255053) | 310
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of allegations that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam used the 48-hour time frame granted by the Sri Lankan government for safe passage for civilians to regroup and mount attacks on the Sri Lankan security forces. | | (254625) | 311
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, by what means his Department assesses the security and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. | | (254626) | 312
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of developments in the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka between 21 January and 29 January 2009. | | (254627) | 313
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) meetings and (b) other contacts he has had with representatives of the Sri Lankan government in 2009. | | (254628) | 314
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) meetings and (b) other contacts he has had with groups representing the Tamil population of Sri Lanka in 2009. | | (254629) | 315
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his most recent assessment is of the military capability of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. | | (254630) | 316
| Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what policy his Department has adopted on the latest draft resolution for the UN Durban 2 anti-racism conference; if he will withdraw the UK from the conference; and if he will make a statement. | | (254672) | 317
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what foreign policy objectives the EU has established, ranked in order of priority assigned by the Council of Ministers; and if he will make a statement. | | (254456) | 318
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many new employees his Department recruited in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09; how many he estimates will be recruited in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11; and how many such recruits are (A) permanent, (B) temporary and (C) agency staff in each such year. | | (254395) | 319
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1208-9W, on redundancy, what estimate he has made of the annual payroll savings resulting from staff exit schemes in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07, (c) 2007-08 and (d) 2008-09, excluding the cost of severance packages; and what estimate he has made of such savings to be accrued by his Department in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11. | | (254396) | 320
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255073) | 321
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the maximum monthly allowance in addition to basic salary is for civilian employees of his Department working in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. | | (254920) | 322
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255229) | 323
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254877) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Health 324
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many (a) males and (b) females in each age group have been diagnosed with acute hepatitis (i) A, (ii) B, (iii) C, (iv) D, (v) E and (vi) G in each year since 1997. | | (254997) | 325
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in what proportion of patients with (a) chronic hepatitis, (b) cirrhosis and (c) hepatocellular carcinoma their condition is due to chronic infection with hepatitis B virus; and if he will make a statement. | | (254998) | 326
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make additional funding available to primary care trusts for the use of pegylated interferon for the anti-viral treatment of chronic hepatitis B; and if he will make a statement. | | (254999) | 327
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to reduce the number of undiagnosed cases of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement. | | (255000) | 328
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to increase public awareness of the modes of transmission of hepatitis C; and if he will make a statement. | | (255001) | 329
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what studies have been (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the likely incidence of chronic hepatitis B over the next (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and if he will make a statement. | | (255002) | 330
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much and what percentage of the 2008-09 budget of each (a) health authority and (b) primary care trust is allocated for the treatment of hepatitis B; and if he will make a statement. | | (255112) | 331
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what studies have been (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department on monitoring the changes in the epidemiology of hepatitis B infection following the introduction of an anti-viral treatment with interferon and ribvarin since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (255113) | 332
| Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the level of compliance among NHS trusts with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Technology Appraisal 87. | | (254775) | 333
| Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of women with a fragility fracture did not receive care and treatment in accordance with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Technology Appraisal 87 in the last 12 months. | | (254776) | 334
| Charlotte Atkins (Staffordshire Moorlands): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which NHS trusts (a) complied and (b) did not comply with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's Technology Appraisal 87 in 2007-08. | | (254777) | 335
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients in (a) West Chelmsford constituency and (b) England have had operations cancelled within a week of the scheduled date in the last 12 months. | | (254750) | 336
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what subsequent support is available to people who successfully complete NHS alcoholic treatment courses. | | (252858) | 337
N | Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people (a) have and (b) have not successfully completed NHS alcoholic treatment courses in (i) Ribble Valley and (ii) England in each of the last five years. | | (252859) | 338
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many admissions of (a) males and (b) females in each age group via accident and emergency to NHS hospitals in each region for alcohol-related conditions there were in 2007-08. | | (255201) | 339
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people received liver transplants for alcohol-related conditions in each year since 1997. | | (255203) | 340
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many terminations of pregnancies where severe disability was suspected were carried out in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. | | (254563) | 341
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255072) | 342
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255230) | 343
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much his Department has spent on (a) pot plants in 2008-09 to date and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254878) | 344
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients have been treated in NHS hospitals for spinal cord injuries in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years. | | (254887) | 345
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps are being taken by his Department to combat obesity amongst young people in the North East. | | (254891) | 346
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with dementia in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. | | (254892) | 347
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to address the needs of children with high levels of autistic traits in the North East. | | (254894) | 348
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many animals have been used in medical scientific experiments funded by the NHS in the last five years. | | (254895) | 349
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to prevent discrimination in the NHS against patients with learning difficulties. | | (254897) | 350
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many organs donated by British people have been sold to non-UK citizens in each of the last 10 years. | | (254899) | 351
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he plans to allow gay men to donate blood. | | (254900) | 352
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the longest time was that a patient had to wait to receive treatment for spinal cord injury in the North East in the last five years. | | (254908) | 353
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many beds are allocated for patients with spinal cord injury in the North East. | | (254909) | 354
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children under the age of 16 years have been diagnosed with diabetes in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency since 1997; and if he will make a statement. | | (254917) | 355
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in (a) the North East, (b) the Tees Valley and (c) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency have learning difficulties; and what special measures are in place to address this. | | (255043) | 356
| Mr Mark Lancaster (North East Milton Keynes): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) average, (b) maximum and (c) minimum wait time has been at the Milton Keynes walk-in centre in January 2009. | | (255044) | 357
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his estimate is of the capital budget of the NHS for each year from 2006-07 to 2010-11, in real terms using 2006-07 prices. | | (255288) | 358
N | Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average cost per outpatient attendance was across all specialties in each year since 1997-98. | | (254532) | 359
| Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department and its agencies have issued to healthcare professionals on assessing patients for (a) the fitting of gastric bands and (b) other bariatric surgery. | | (254840) | 360
| Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many NHS patients have had a gastric band fitted in 2007-08; and how many of them were readmitted to hospital as an emergency within three months of surgery as a result of complications. | | (254841) | 361
N | Mr Michael Meacher (Oldham West & Royton): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether he has discussed with his German counterpart the matter of culpability on the part of the manufacturers in relation to the impairments caused by thalidomide in the last five years. | | (254622) | 362
| Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) hospital doctors and (ii) general practitioners working in the NHS who were non-UK nationals in the latest year for which figures are available. | | (254834) | 363
| John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions the Healthcare Commission has had with the Care Quality Commission on including risk assessment for venous thromboembolism as a clinical audit indicator. | | (254810) | 364
| John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as an indicator in the 2009-10 Care Quality Commission periodic review of NHS providers. | | (254811) | 365
| John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as a topic for special review by the Care Quality Commission in 2009-10. | | (254812) | 366
| John Smith (Vale of Glamorgan): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to include risk assessment for venous thromboembolism in hospitalised patients as an indicator in the Commissioning for Quality and Innovation payment framework. | | (254813) | 367
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department has issued to NHS trusts on the use of desensitisation as a treatment for allergy; and if he will make a statement. | | (254391) | 368
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 11 December 2008, Official Report, columns 223-4W, on allergies: research, which aspects of allergy research his Department intends to prioritise; and what criteria are used in the allocation of funding for such research. | | (254533) | 369
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has received (a) a draft copy and (b) an advance copy of the report of the Independent Public Inquiry into Contaminated Blood Products; and if he will make a statement. | | (255217) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 370
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the Licensing Act 2003 on shift patterns of police officers in (a) Essex and (b) England and Wales. | | (254993) | 371
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the number of alcohol-related crimes committed between the hours of 3 am and 6 am in (a) Essex and (b) England in each year since 2000. | | (254994) | 372
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people aged (a) between 17 and 25, (b) between 25 and 40 and (c) over 40 years old were (i) stopped on suspicion of, (ii) arrested for and (iii) charged with drink-driving in (A) Southend, (B) Essex and (C) England and Wales in each of the last five years. | | (254995) | 373
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many violent crimes were recorded by the British Crime Survey in each of the last 10 years where the offender was (a) under school age, (b) of school age, (c) between 16 and 24 , (d) between 25 and 40 and (e) over 40 years old, broken down by offences committed (i) in the home, (ii) at work, (iii) in the street, (iv) in a public house or club, (v) on public transport and (vi) at another location. | | (255110) | 374
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many violent crimes were recorded in each of the last 10 years where the victim was (a) under school age, (b) of school age, (c) between 16 and 24, (d) between 25 and 40 and (e) over 40 years old. | | (255111) | 375
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many charges relating to offences under counter-terorism legislation were brought by police in England in 2006. | | (254689) | 376
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police helicopters in England were shared with local ambulance services in 2007-08. | | (254690) | 377
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average number of crimes solved by each police officer was in England in 2007-08. | | (254691) | 378
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of applications for asylum in 2007-08 was made by people entering the UK from (a) another EU member state and (b) a country outside the EU. | | (254692) | 379
| Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent estimates she has made of the average length of time per day a police officer spends on patrol in (a) England and Wales and (b) Northamptonshire constabulary. | | (254941) | 380
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated research into the use of high-powered microphones on closed circuit television cameras for security purposes at the 2012 Olympics; and if she will make a statement. | | (254794) | 381
| Mr Colin Breed (South East Cornwall): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many times section 27 of the Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 has been applied to remove football supporters from (a) Premier League, (b) Championship, (c) League One, (d) League Two and (e) Football Conference football grounds since the Act came into force. | | (254800) | 382
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the Chelmsford division of the Essex police force area were charged with alcohol-related offences in the year (a) before and (b) following the introduction of the Licensing Act 2003; and with which offences such people were charged. | | (254836) | 383
| Mr Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress is being made in clearing the backlog of undetermined immigration legacy cases; by what date she expects all such cases to have been determined; and if she will make a statement. | | (254676) | 384
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many applications were made for marriage visas to enter the UK where the intended spouse was resident in the London Borough of Bexley in the last 12 months. | | (254804) | 385
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many SCD5 child abuse investigation trained officers are stationed in (a) each London borough and (b) each police authority area outside London; and if she will make a statement. | | (254814) | 386
| Mr Don Foster (Bath): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were of retailers for selling alcohol to persons under 18 years old in 2007; and what the average fine imposed was on those convicted. | | (255197) | 387
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of reported crime was committed by people under the age of 16 years in the last year for which figures are available. | | (254815) | 388
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) reports and (b) data sets each police force is required to submit to her Department each (i) month and (ii) year. | | (254816) | 389
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the average number of police response units on call at any one time. | | (254817) | 390
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, by what date the stop and account form will have been withdrawn from use. | | (254818) | 391
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the recommendations of the Flanagan review have been implemented. | | (254819) | 392
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many recorded crimes have been committed by people with indefinite leave to remain in each of the last three years. | | (254820) | 393
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff work in each section of the National Police Improvement Agency. | | (254821) | 394
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much has been spent on consultants by the National Police Improvement Agency in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (a) project and (b) contractor. | | (254822) | 395
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) cash grants and (b) overall budget her Department has provided for each police force in each of the last 10 years. | | (254823) | 396
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the running costs of her Department's Senior Appointments Panel. | | (254824) | 397
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, which organisations have a power of inspection in respect of police forces. | | (254848) | 398
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what Gershon savings were achieved by her Department in the last three years; and which of those were cash savings. | | (254866) | 399
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress has been made in implementing each of the recommendations of the Flanagan report. | | (255045) | 400
| Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes she plans to make to the national crime recording standard. | | (255046) | 401
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many equalities impact assessments her Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255071) | 402
| Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests to her Department were refused on the ground of cost in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) January to June 2008. | | (254922) | 403
| Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to change the visa application procedures for visitors from (a) Serbia and (b) Macedonia. | | (254799) | 404
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether Ministers in her Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255242) | 405
| Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers in each of the last three years. | | (254879) | 406
N | Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether (a) her Department and (b) Metropolitan Police have received a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for the release of the report of the review conducted by Chief Constable Ian Johnston of the arrest and investigation of the hon. Member for Ashford. | | (254562) | 407
| Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 710W, on genetics: database, what steps she plans to take to comply with the S and Harper judgment in relation to retention of DNA information from people not convicted of a crime. | | (255016) | 408
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many refuges for victims of domestic violence there were in each year since 1997. | | (254907) | 409
| Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) revenue payment, (b) capital grant and (c) supported borrowing funding has been made available by her Department to (i) Kent County Council, (ii) Thanet District Council and (iii) Dover District Council in 2008-09; and how much such funding is planned for 2009-10 in each case. | | (255089) | 410
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many UK-based websites have been closed down because they contained extremist material inciting terrorism in the last five years. | | (254791) | 411
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many major terrorist plots were disrupted by bodies for which her Department is responsible in each of the last five years. | | (254792) | 412
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department spent on the (a) prepare, (b) prevent, (c) protect and (d) pursue strands of the Contest counter-terrorism strategy in each of the last three years. | | (254793) | 413
| Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for the offence of encouragement of terrorism contained in the Terrorism Act 2006; and how many in each case involved glorification of terrorism as defined in section 1(3) of that Act. | | (254861) | 414
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps she has taken to monitor the systems used by the Serious Organised Crime Agency to (a) manage its cases and (b) produce (i) management and (ii) financial information on recovered assets; and if she will make a statement. | | (254943) | 415
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer given of 19 January 2009, Official Report, column 1239W, on the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA), when she expects SOCA to publish its report for the financial year 2008-09; and what assessment she has made of the performance of SOCA during the first six months of 2008-09. | | (254976) | 416
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on the recent distribution of recovered criminal assets; and if she will make a statement. | | (255270) | 417
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent on managing and liquidating assets recovered by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 in the first nine months of 2008-09. | | (255273) | 418
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department takes to monitor the amount of criminal assets recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 by (a) law enforcement agencies and (b) prosecuting authorities; and how often each such agency is required to report on the recovery of criminal assets. | | (255274) | 419
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been charged with criminal offences as a result of investigations conducted by the Serious and Organised Crime Agency in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08 and (c) the first six months of this financial year. | | (255275) | 420
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what training police officers in Essex have received on human trafficking; and if she will make a statement. | | (254783) | 421
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many officers in Essex Police Force have received training on the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking of Human Beings in the last three years. | | (254784) | 422
N | Derek Twigg (Halton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many former police community support officers were recruited as police officers in (a) 2005, (b) 2006, (c) 2007 and (d) 2008. | | (252774) | Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission 423
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, how many snow shovels are owned by the House of Commons. | | (254561) | 424
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, what arrangements there are for people to undertake internships in the House service. | | (254902) | 425
N | Jo Swinson (East Dunbartonshire): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 19 January 2009, Official Report, columns 995-6W, on the internet, on what date he estimates the better quality videos of the Parliamentary tour will be available for viewing on YouTube. | | (254569) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 426
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps his Department is taking to support clean energy research and development. | | (255173) | 427
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps he is taking to increase the number of nuclear engineering graduates. | | (255176) | 428
| Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps he is taking to promote the work of the Charity Research Support Fund in the context of the current national economic situation. | | (254703) | 429
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps his Department is taking in West Chelmsford constituency to increase the number of apprenticeships. | | (254751) | 430
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what assessment the Government (a) has made and (b) plans to make of the effects of (i) the recession and (ii) restricted availability of credit on the number of UK students wishing to study at postgraduate level. | | (254953) | 431
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps the Government plans to take to maintain numbers of students wishing to study at postgraduate level in the current economic climate. | | (254954) | 432
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what assessment he has made of the effect on postgraduate students of private finance providers being (a) unwilling and (b) not required to make binding funding commitments for the duration of courses in the current economic situation. | | (254955) | 433
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what assessment he has made of the merits of increasing funding for research councils to provide financial support to postgraduates unable to secure funding in the current economic situation. | | (254956) | 434
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what steps his Department takes to assist postgraduate students not eligible for career development loans whose financial support is withdrawn part-way through their course. | | (254957) | 435
| Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the economic downturn on levels of financial assistance for postgraduate students from (a) employers, (b) private companies providing loans and (c) banks. | | (254958) | 436
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255070) | 437
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255231) | 438
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which colleges submitted applications in respect of the Building Colleges of the Future programme for approval in (a) principle and (b) detail at the December meeting of the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement. | | (255278) | 439
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what capital budget for rebuilding colleges has been allocated for (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and if he will make a statement. | | (255281) | 440
| Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what plans he has to bring forward capital expenditure on colleges to the year 2009-10; and if he will make a statement. | | (255282) | 441
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of people taking up apprenticeship schemes in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years were disabled. | | (255028) | 442
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many new apprenticeships have been created in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years. | | (255029) | 443
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding has been provided by his Department to support apprenticeship schemes in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years. | | (255030) | 444
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many of those completing apprenticeship schemes in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency obtained full-time permanent employment in each of the last five years. | | (255031) | 445
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of people taking up apprenticeships in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency in each of the last five years were female. | | (255032) | 446
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding his Department has made available to support the Train to Gain programme in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency. | | (255033) | 447
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many people beginning apprenticeship schemes in each of the last five years in (a) Cumbria and (b) Copeland constituency had been unemployed for six months or longer. | | (255034) | 448
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding his Department has provided to help establish and develop the University of Cumbria. | | (255035) | 449
| Mr Jamie Reed (Copeland): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much funding his Department is making available to continue the development of the University of Cumbria over the next three years. | | (255036) | 450
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the student completion rate was at the London Metropolitan University in the last year for which figures are available. | | (252619) | 451
N | Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of people who undertook Skills for Life training while on employer training pilot-funded provision have achieved qualifications. | | (254390) | 452
N | Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much was spent on Train to Gain brokers in 2007-08; and what percentage of Train to Gain expenditure in that year this figure represents. | | (254450) | 453
N | Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Reading West of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 594W, on vocational training: finance, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of learners aged 25 years and over in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06. | | (254451) | Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development 454
| Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment he has made of the operation of the staging area in Israel for the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza; and what account he has taken of the effect of the recent conflict and lack of accessibility on the delivery of this aid. | | (255047) | 455
N | Tim Farron (Westmorland & Lonsdale): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what funding his Department has given to major irrigation projects in the Andhra Pradesh region of India. | | (254619) | 456
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255069) | 457
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255232) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 458
| Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will instruct the management of the Prison Service to allow the Prison Officers' Association to conduct a ballot of its members in relation to the workforce management proposals. | | (255010) | 459
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) males and (b) females who were (i) under 17, (ii) between 17 and 21, (iii) between 21 and 25, (iv) between 25 and 29 and (v) over 30 years of age were convicted of drug offences in the Chelmsford division of the Essex police force area in each of the last 10 years. | | (254838) | 460
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the constitutional status of the Duchy of Cornwall; and if he will make a statement. | | (255056) | 461
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who the absolute owner of land is in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) Wales, (e) Cornwall and (f) the Isles of Scilly. | | (255057) | 462
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, who has responsibility for land in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) Wales, (e) Cornwall and (f) the Isles of Scilly under circumstances in which deeds to land have been lost. | | (255058) | 463
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255068) | 464
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255224) | 465
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many firms undertook criminal legal aid work in (a) 2002 and (b) 2008. | | (255253) | 466
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many legal firms have (a) stopped and (b) started doing legal aid work in each of the last five years. | | (255254) | 467
| Mr Austin Mitchell (Great Grimsby): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much was paid by his Department for (a) criminal legal aid work and (b) other legal aid work in each of the last five years. | | (255259) | Questions to the Leader of the House 468
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Leader of the House, what the average length of service in the House is for current hon. Members; and if she will make a statement. | | (255096) | 469
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Leader of the House, how many minutes were spent on the Third Reading of each Bill passed by the House since May 2005. | | (255099) | 470
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Leader of the House, how many hon. Members who retired at the (a) 1983, (b) 1987, (b) 1992, (d) 1997, (e) 2001 and (f) 2005 general elections were aged 65 and over at the date of retirement; and how long each had served in the House on retirement. | | (255100) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 471
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255067) | 472
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255235) | 473
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Serious and Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) on the continuation of work undertaken by the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) in Northern Ireland; and what steps he is taking to ensure that casework initiated by the ARA in Northern Ireland is taken up by SOCA. | | (255271) | 474
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of internet-related offences in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254935) | 475
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of crimes relating to graffiti in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254936) | 476
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of explosive-related crimes in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254937) | 477
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of knife crimes in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254938) | 478
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted for (a) sexual crimes involving minors, (b) rape, (c) arson, (d) fuel smuggling, (e) cigarette smuggling, (f) credit card fraud, (g) bank fraud, (h) burglary, (i) driving under the influence of alcohol and (j) vehicle theft in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254939) | 479
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many people were convicted of gun-related crimes in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (254940) | 480
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many Irish nationals were convicted of drug trafficking offences in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. | | (255015) | 481
| Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what recent estimate he has made of the number of guns held by (a) loyalist paramilitaries and (b) republican dissidents. | | (255272) | 482
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254738) | Questions to the Minister for the Olympics 483
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what the average cost is of the units being built in the Olympic Village. | | (254843) | 484
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, how much private sector funding for construction of the Olympic Village she expects. | | (254844) | 485
| Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what discussions she has had with (a) the Mayor of London and (b) universities over proposals for the legacy use of the Olympics media centre as a university. | | (254847) | 486
N | Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what the job description is of each official who works for her in her capacity as Minister for the Olympics. | | (254454) | 487
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, when she plans to reply to the letters of 6 November 2008 and 14 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on Olympic events for women cyclists, reference SP2318. | | (254529) | 488
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, whether she received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255243) | Questions to the Prime Minister 489
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Prime Minister, how many parliamentary questions he has not answered since June 2007 on the grounds of disproportionate cost; and if he will make a statement. | | (254990) | 490
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Prime Minister, how many parliamentary questions for written answer he has transferred to other Ministers since May 2007; and if he will make a statement. | | (254991) | 491
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Prime Minister, to what events held in the United Kingdom to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel he has been invited; what such invitations he has (a) accepted and (b) declined; and if he will make a statement. | | (254992) | 492
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Prime Minister, whether he received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255236) | 493
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Prime Minister, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Office since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254741) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland 494
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255066) | 495
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255239) | Questions to the Solicitor General 496
| Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Solicitor General, to whom the property of those who die intestate reverts in (a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Northern Ireland, (d) Wales, (e) Cornwall and (f) the Isles of Scilly. | | (254697) | 497
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Solicitor General, whether Ministers in the Law Officers' Departments received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255238) | 498
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, how many civil recovery actions in respect of criminal assets the Crown Prosecution Service has initiated in the first nine months of 2008-09. | | (254982) | 499
| Mr Owen Paterson (North Shropshire): To ask the Solicitor General, when she expects the (a) Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office and (b) Serious Fraud Office to begin to undertake civil recovery actions in respect of criminal assets; and if she will make a statement. | | (254983) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport 500
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Network Rail on electrifying the main line between Paddington and Plymouth. | | (254679) | 501
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for completion of the dualling of the A303. | | (254680) | 502
| Mr Michael Ancram (Devizes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the effect of a third runway at Heathrow on levels of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from stacking by commercial aircraft awaiting clearance to land at Heathrow. | | (254681) | 503
| Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of sets of points are heated in the national rail network. | | (255011) | 504
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 300W, on motorways: repairs and maintenance, whether the £6 billion programme of national major schemes will be in addition to the annual budget for the Highways Agency programme of national major schemes. | | (255093) | 505
| Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Highways Agency budget in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11, (c) 2011-12 and (d) 2012-13 is for national major road schemes. | | (255094) | 506
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on the development of a global emissions trading scheme for shipping under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization. | | (255177) | 507
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were killed in (a) West Chelmsford constituency and (b) Essex in drink-driving-related accidents in each of the last five years. | | (254747) | 508
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to increase capacity on the Chelmsford to Liverpool Street railway line. | | (254748) | 509
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many petrol stations in West Chelmsford constituency have active liquefied petroleum gas pumps. | | (254749) | 510
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the period served by the Ten Year Plan for Transport will end; what assessment he has made of the merits of drawing up a successor programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (254699) | 511
| Mr Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Cotswold): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of including funding for the resurfacing of the A419 between Cirencester and Swindon in the funding programme to succeed the Ten Year Plan for Transport. | | (254700) | 512
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people were (a) killed and (b) seriously injured on roads in the London Borough of Bexley in each of the last five years. | | (254802) | 513
| Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to standardise the use of Blue Badges and dedicated disabled parking facilities across public and private car parks; and if he will make a statement. | | (255039) | 514
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on financial support for the development of railfreight interchanges. | | (254564) | 515
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the development of railfreight interchanges will be subject to a National Planning Policy Statement under the Planning Act 2008. | | (254565) | 516
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the process is for reviewing and updating the railfreight interchange policy. | | (254566) | 517
N | Mr Robert Goodwill (Scarborough & Whitby): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he is holding with the Railfreight Interchange Investment Group on the development of the Department's policy on railfreight interchanges. | | (254567) | 518
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255065) | 519
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how decisions are taken on whether Network Rail or train operating companies are used to deliver major projects. | | (254928) | 520
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of Railways for All projects have been delivered by (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies. | | (254929) | 521
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the performance of (a) Network Rail and (b) train operating companies in delivering Railways for All projects, including Small Schemes fund projects. | | (254930) | 522
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements are in place to evaluate performance against the undertakings made by those bidding for rail franchises in terms of the disability element of franchise bids. | | (254931) | 523
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to ensure that the disability element of rail franchising is scored in accordance with the Government's disability equality duty. | | (254932) | 524
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how local disability organisations are consulted on options for access improvements in major transport projects. | | (254933) | 525
| Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he plans to take to improve the efficiency and delivery of larger station projects as part of the future delivery of the Railways for All Programme; and if he will make a statement. | | (254934) | 526
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255233) | 527
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research his Department has carried out on charges for foreign haulage vehicles to enter the UK; what estimate he has made of (a) the maximum feasible charge per vehicle and (b) the potential annual revenue to accrue from such charges; and if he will make a statement. | | (254758) | 528
| Mr Lindsay Hoyle (Chorley): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on revisions to the standard driving test. | | (254760) | 529
| Mr Greg Knight (East Yorkshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new rail stations are scheduled to be opened in Yorkshire in the next three years; what the location is of each; and what car parking provision is planned to be provided at each. | | (254942) | 530
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate has been made of the number of new jobs which would be created by the expansion of Heathrow Airport. | | (254888) | 531
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to undertake motorway widening in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency. | | (255013) | 532
| Dr Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much (a) revenue payment, (b) capital grant and (c) supported borrowing funding has been made available by his Department to (i) Kent County Council, (ii) Thanet District Council and (iii) Dover District Council in 2008-09; and how much is planned in each case for 2009-10. | | (255092) | 533
| Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will bring forward proposals to amend the Traffic Management Act 2004 so that its provisions can be enforced in England on vehicles registered in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. | | (254925) | 534
N | Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what representations he has received on proposals to dredge the River Thames in the vicinity of the wreck of SS Richard Montgomery; and if he will make a statement. | | (254530) | 535
| Mr Anthony Steen (Totnes): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that the Hope Cove lifeboat service is re-instated in time for the Easter weekend. | | (254918) | 536
| Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the toll for the Humber Bridge was for a single car crossing in each year since the bridge was opened; and if he will make a statement. | | (254774) | 537
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254743) | 538
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 532W, on Heathrow Airport, on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) departmental officials met BAA representatives to discuss proposals for Heathrow Airport expansion in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. | | (254949) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Wales 539
N | Mrs Cheryl Gillan (Chesham & Amersham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between officials and Ministers in his Office and Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and officials on the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order in the last two years. | | (254618) | 540
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255063) | 541
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255240) | Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality 542
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, how many equalities impact assessments the Government Equalities Office has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255062) | 543
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, whether she received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255237) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 544
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to reform the housing allowance scheme in the last five years; what discussions he has had with local authorities on this issue in the last two years; and if he will make a statement. | | (255102) | 545
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much and what proportion of private rented accommodation in (a) Southend-on-Sea local authority area, (b) Essex county council area and (c) Southend West constituency is available for rent at or below the median rent established by the Rent Service for the relevant rental market area; and if he will make a statement. | | (255103) | 546
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish information on changes in the level of benefits experienced by local housing allowance claimants resident in (a) Southend-on-Sea and (b) Essex who move address; and if he will make a statement. | | (255104) | 547
| Mr David Amess (Southend West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of persons residing in (a) Southend and (b) Essex who will receive (i) an increase, (ii) a decrease and (iii) no change in benefit paid following the introduction of local housing allowance; what recent representations he has received on this issue; and if he will make a statement. | | (255105) | 548
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in West Chelmsford constituency claimed the higher rate care component of disability living allowance in 2007-08. | | (254673) | 549
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many cold weather payments were made to households in West Chelmsford constituency in each of the last five years. | | (254755) | 550
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people resident in West Chelmsford constituency (a) were entitled to claim and (b) claimed pension credit in each of the last five years. | | (254756) | 551
| Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath & Crayford): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people entitled to a winter fuel payment in Greater London are yet to receive their payment from the last round of applications. | | (254805) | 552
N | Justine Greening (Putney): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much funding was allocated by his Department under the deprived areas fund to each local authority in (a) 2006-07 and (b) 2007-08. | | (254452) | 553
| Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many equalities impact assessments his Department has undertaken in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of such assessments. | | (255061) | 554
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of people in Forest of Dean constituency claiming incapacity benefit in respect of (a) mental and (b) physical impairments. | | (254526) | 555
N | Mr Mark Harper (Forest of Dean): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what proportion of time each of his Department's 25 critical systems were available in each month in 2008. | | (254527) | 556
| Mr Mark Hoban (Fareham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether Ministers in his Department received representations from (a) Lord Moonie, (b) Lord Taylor of Blackburn, (c) Lord Snape and (d) Lord Truscott in the last seven months. | | (255234) | 557
| Susan Kramer (Richmond Park): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners who reached the age of 80 in 2008 have not qualified for winter fuel payments because their birthday was later than 15 September 2008. | | (254842) | 558
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will bring forward proposals to increase the financial support for mentally and physically disabled children given up for adoption by their parents. | | (254901) | 559
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many vacancies for positions within the Jobcentre Plus network have been advertised in each of the last 12 months in the North East; and what proportion of those were advertised in local newspapers. | | (254914) | 560
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children in (a) England, (b) the North East, (c) the Tees Valley and (d) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency were considered to be living in severe poverty in each year since 1997. | | (254915) | 561
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average time was for decisions to be taken on crisis loan applications in the North East in each month of 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | (254916) | 562
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the personalised employment programme pilots are part of (a) the progression to work pathfinders and (b) the invest to save pathfinders. | | (255101) | 563
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) new and (b) existing employment and support allowance claimants will participate in progression to work pathfinders. | | (255114) | 564
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) lone parents and (b) partners of existing benefit claimants will participate in progression to work pathfinders. | | (255115) | 565
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assistance for returning to work will be given to existing incapacity benefit claimants who are not in the invest to save pathfinder areas once they have transferred on to the employment and support allowance. | | (255116) | 566
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the back-to-work regime for existing incapacity benefit claimants who have transferred on to the employment and support allowance (ESA) will be the same as for new ESA claimants. | | (255117) | 567
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of (a) new and (b) existing employment and support allowance claimants will be covered by (i) progression to work pathfinders, (ii) invest to save pathfinders and (iii) personalised employment programme pilots. | | (255118) | 568
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what progress has been made on his plans for the implementation of the flexible New Deal. | | (255122) | 569
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the contracting process for the flexible New Deal has proceeded in accordance with the originally planned timetable. | | (255123) | 570
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the contracts will be announced for phase 1 of the flexible New Deal. | | (255124) | 571
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether claimants of the planned treatment allowance will be required to prove that they are not taking crack or heroin as a condition of receiving the allowance. | | (255126) | 572
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will publish the results of the consultation on the Social Fund conducted by his Department in November 2008. | | (255127) | 573
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what back to work support will be provided to people claiming employment and support allowance for two years or more. | | (255128) | 574
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what back to work support will be offered to new and existing claimants of employment and support allowance who are not part of the progression to work pathfinders. | | (255129) | 575
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what back to work support will be offered to lone parents or partners of benefit claimants with children aged (a) nought to two, (b) three to six and (c) over six years old who are not part of the progression to work pathfinders. | | (255130) | 576
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what funding he has allocated for the implementation of progression to work pathfinders. | | (255131) | 577
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from what source funding for the implementation of the progression to work pathfinders will come. | | (255132) | 578
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many additional jobcentre staff are planned to implement the progression to work pathfinders. | | (255133) | 579
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how much he has allocated to fund the childcare costs of lone parents with young children wishing to return to work in 2009-10. | | (255134) | 580
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from what source funding to cover the childcare costs of lone parents with young children wishing to return to work will come. | | (255135) | 581
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what form sanctions will take in the progression to work pathfinders for participants who fail to engage with support without good cause. | | (255136) | 582
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether participation in welfare to work activities as part of the invest to save pathfinders for existing incapacity benefit claimants is compulsory. | | (255137) | 583
| Mrs Theresa May (Maidenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the minimum level of expected participation will be for incapacity benefit claimants covered by the invest to save pathfinders. | | (255138) | 584
| Mr Andrew Tyrie (Chichester): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many expert advisers, excluding special advisers, have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007; and on which topics they have advised. | | (254739) | 585
| Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people (a) applied for and (b) received a crisis loan in England and Wales in each of the last five years, broken down by the smallest administrative area for which figures are available. | | (254862) | 586
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of people who have made applications to the Child Support Agency since March 2003 have not yet received any maintenance payments; and if he will make a statement. | | (255262) | 587
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the report by Lesley Strathie, Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, to which he referred in his speech on 25 June 2008 at the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion Conference. | | (255263) | 588
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department's target is for the number of visits to be made by compliance officers to lone parents who have been sanctioned for failing to attend a work-focused interview; and if he will make a statement. | | (255264) | 589
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of lone parents under benefits sanctions for failing to attend a work-focused interview have been visited by a compliance officer in each month since such interviews became compulsory; and if he will make a statement. | | (255265) | 590
| Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's standard letter issued to lone parents claiming income support after they have failed to attend a work-focused interview and failed to show good cause. | | (255267) | Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform 591
N | Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what discussions he has had with Business for New Europe on his Department's policies for business in Europe since his appointment; and if he will make a statement. | | [Question Unstarred] (254321) | Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer 592
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when Sir Fred Goodwin ceased to be a member of the High Level Group on the City; and for what reasons he ceased to be a member of the group. | | [Transferred] (254951) | 593
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the Government's policy is on placing a pay cap on (a) civil servants and (b) special advisers. | | [Transferred] (254906) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 594
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, on how many occasions the Minister for the East of England has visited areas of the administrative county of Essex other than those in the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock; and what the purpose was of each visit. | | [Transferred] (254835) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 595
| Dr Ashok Kumar (Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many (a) incidents of animal cruelty have been reported and (b) people have been charged with offences of animal cruelty in (i) England, (ii) the North East, (iii) the Tees Valley and (iv) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each of the last 10 years. | | [Transferred] (254890) | Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department 596
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many convictions for being drunk and disorderly there have been in the Chelmsford division of the Essex police force area in each of the last 10 years. | | [Transferred] (254837) | 597
| Mr Greg Hands (Hammersmith & Fulham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what visa application procedures are in place for visitors from (a) Croatia, (b) Serbia, (c) Montenegro, (d) Macedonia and (e) Bosnia-Herzegovina. | | [Transferred] (254798) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills 598
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of (a) prisoners and (b) young offenders in HM Prison Chelmsford he estimates have literacy problems. | | [Transferred] (254752) | 599
| Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many (a) prisoners and (b) young offenders obtained qualifications while at HM Prison Chelmsford in each of the last five years. | | [Transferred] (254753) | Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice 600
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) adults and (b) children in Essex were identified as having been trafficked in each of the last three years. | | [Transferred] (254782) | 601
| Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what accommodation in Essex his Department and its agencies provide for those identified as having been trafficked into the UK. | | [Transferred] (254785) | 602
| Jenny Willott (Cardiff Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many nights have been spent by prisoners in police cells in each police force under Operation Safeguard (a) in total and (b) in each month since April 2008; and if he will make a statement. | | [Transferred] (254948) | Questions to the Prime Minister 603
| Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Prime Minister, what work the No. 10 Policy Directorate (a) has undertaken and (b) plans to undertake on energy and climate-related matters. | | [Transferred] (255042) |
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