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House of Commons
Session 2008 - 09
Publications on the internet
The Questions Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 24 February 2009

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


 

Questions for Oral or Written Answer
beginning on Tuesday 24 February 2009
(the 'Questions Book')

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Tuesday 24 February 2009


This paper contains only Written Questions for answer on Tuesday 24 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 Tuesday 24 February of which no previous notice has been given, see the Order Paper.

For Written and Oral Questions for answer after Tuesday 24 February see Part 2 of this paper.


Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
1
Mr Julian Brazier (Canterbury): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether he plans to give local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices for illegal street traders.
(258452)
2
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the average length of time of each stage of the export licensing process was for licences in respect of exports to each country in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.
(258697)
3
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what representations his Department has received on the effect of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive on business costs; what his latest estimate is of those costs; how many businesses met the deadline for compliance with the Directive's provisions in the UK; how many fines have been imposed for failure to comply; and if he will make a statement.
(258698)
4
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what recent assessment he has made of the likely economic effect on rural small businesses of not having access to broadband in the next two years.
(258444)
5
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, which contractors his Department uses to undertake cleaning duties; and what the hourly rates of pay are for cleaners working in his Department.
(258506)
6
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many consultants are employed by each bargaining unit of (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies; what work is being undertaken by each; and what the (i) length and (ii) value of each contract is.
(258507)
7
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, how many and what proportion of members of each trade union with a political fund have exercised their right to opt out of the political levy, according to the records held by the Certification Officer.
(258377)
8
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 27 October 2008, Official Report, column 722W, on the Keep our Future Afloat campaign, to which bodies the North West Regional Development Agency provided funding to be used by the Keep our Future Afloat campaign.
(258658)
9
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 580W, on trade unions: legal opinion, if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary analysis produced by the Office of Fair Trading on whether trade union members are consumers for the purposes of consumer protection rules.
(258668)
10
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Export Credits Guarantee Department is in 2008-09.
(258524)
11
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by each of the regional development agencies is in 2008-09.
(258532)
12
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database at (a) Anderson House, (b) Heron House, (c) St David's House, (d) Delta House, (e) Royal Exchange House, (f) Civic House, (g) Capital Tower, (h) St Mary's House and (i) Atholl House is in 2008-09.
(258533)
13
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, if he will hold discussions with Shropshire and Wrekin Fire Authority on the effect of proposed changes to the EU Working Time Directive on Shropshire's retained firefighters.
(258263)
14
N
Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, whether his Department has carried out investigations to determine whether export licences have been granted inappropriately for unmanned aerial vehicles used in the Gaza conflict.
(257362)
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer
15
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the amount of revenue foregone by the Exchequer in exempting from capital gains tax income from sales of UK property by foreign nationals not domiciled in the UK.
(258494)
16
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent representations he has received from the construction industry and its associated industries on reductions in credit insurance cover.
(258695)
17
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he and his officials have had with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the effect of the national non-domestic rate (NNDR) on the viability of small and medium-sized enterprises; what representations he has received on the (a) level and (b) future levels of NNDR; what recent estimate he made of the (i) cost to the Exchequer of and (ii) number of additional properties which would benefit from (A) not implementing the 2009-10 increase in NNDR and (B) extending the small business rate relief scheme to (1) properties under £20,000 rateable value outside London and (2) properties under £30,000 rateable value outside London and simultaneously amending the small business multiplier to (x) 40 pence, (y) 42 pence and (z) 44 pence; and if he will make a statement.
(258725)
18
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the costs incurred by his Department in (a) legal and (b) accountancy fees relating to (i) Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander and (ii) Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) in each of the last six months.
(258317)
19
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit (a) claims and (b) claimants were affected by technical difficulties at HM Revenue and Customs in 2005-06; what measures have been put in place to resolve such difficulties; and if he will make a statement.
(258484)
20
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what average length of time HM Revenue and Customs took to (a) process and (b) award a tax credit claim in the last 12 months.
(258485)
21
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims have been (a) affected by and (b) delayed as a result of (i) IT problems and (ii) other technical difficulties at HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor in each of the last five years.
(258486)
22
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many tax credit claims were unpaid for (a) over one year, (b) over two years, (c) over three years, (d) over four years and (e) five years or more as a result of (i) IT problems and (ii) other technical difficulties at HM Revenue and Customs and its predecessor.
(258487)
23
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what procedures HM Revenue and Customs has in place to ensure the (a) accurate, (b) swift and (c) efficient payment of tax credits.
(258488)
24
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to ensure that all relevant staff of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are aware of the new targets relating to time taken to process claims for child benefit; and when he expects the first measures of HMRC performance against these targets to be published.
(258637)
25
Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff working at HM Revenue and Customs contact centres have (a) requested and (b) been granted flexible working hours.
(258410)
26
Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the percentage level of staff turnover was for (a) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) staff and (b) HMRC staff working in contact centres in the last year for which information is available.
(258412)
27
Mr David Gauke (South West Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the average number of days lost to sickness in the latest year for which figures are available for (a) all HM Revenue and Customs staff and (b) HM Revenue and Customs staff working in contact centres.
(258644)
28
John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the annual revenue which would be forgone by the Exchequer from the removal of value added tax on mainstage bingo.
(258691)
29
Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses formerly registered for gross payment under the Construction Industry Scheme have ceased to hold that status in each year since the scheme's inception.
(258307)
30
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether each Government department is required to appoint a designated Euro Minister as part of the Euro Changeover preparations.
(258367)
31
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect of recent changes in the value of sterling on the cost of the United Kingdom's contributions in euros to the European Union.
(258369)
32
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much was paid into the Consolidated Fund from fines in each year since 1997.
(258370)
33
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) donations and (b) bequests were made to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt in each month since January 2006; and what the monetary value of each was.
(258371)
34
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, who holds records on the use of the Expotel hotel booking service for the public sector, as appointed to the OGCbuying.solutions framework; and which public sector bodies use this service.
(258372)
35
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has undertaken an assessment of the likely effect of the proposed new 45 per cent. income tax rate on the level of charitable donations.
(258373)
36
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether value added tax (VAT) is charged on VAT-liable items in HM Treasury building (a) vending machines and (b) staff canteens; and whether retail prices on such VAT-liable items have been reduced since December 2008.
(258374)
37
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many financial inclusion strategies his Department has had since May 1997; what the (a) title and (b) date of each was; and what recommendations each made to increase levels of financial inclusion in areas of high financial exclusion.
(258624)
38
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 133W, on Consolidated Fund: fines, which public bodies are required to surrender their revenue from fines to the Consolidated Fund.
(258625)
39
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 9 December 2008, Official Report, columns 46-7W, on political parties: finance, and with reference to the MPs, Ministers and Tax guidance note, whether Labour hon. Members' contributions to fund the services of the Parliamentary Labour Party based in Parliament are classified by HM Revenue and Customs as (a) a personal donation to a political party and (b) a cost incurred by an office holder that is wholly, exclusively and necessarily in performance of their Parliamentary duties.
(258626)
40
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) HM Treasury residual estate is in 2008-09.
(258516)
41
N
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department monitors the proportion of Government spending on public sector contracts which goes to small businesses.
(257845)
42
N
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what training the Office of Government Commerce provides for public procurement managers on dealing with consortia of small businesses tendering for public contracts.
(257846)
43
N
Mr Andrew Smith (Oxford East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Office of Government Commerce is taking to implement the recommendations of the Glover review.
(257847)
44
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 6 May 2008, Official Report, column 829W, on the Valuation Office: procurement, what the financial threshold is above which a purchase order is required for representatives of the Valuation Office Agency to procure goods and services.
(258272)
45
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 6 May 2008, Official Report, column 829W, on the Valuation Office: standards, if he will place in the Library a copy of the updated version of the customer services manual.
(258273)
46
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the Valuation Office Agency has spent on diversity and equality courses for its staff at the National School of Government in the last 12 months; and how many staff have attended such courses in that period.
(258397)
47
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Financial Services Authority has made of the number of individuals who may have lost money in the Ocean View Properties International Ltd property case; and what steps are being taken to assist those individuals.
(258398)
48
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what databases are (a) owned and (b) maintained by or on behalf of the Valuation Office Agency.
(258399)
49
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to date has been of the contract between HM Revenue and Customs on behalf of the Valuation Office Agency and Rightmove.co.uk plc.
(258400)
50
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether (a) localities and (b) locality groups are used by the Valuation Office Agency to assist with council tax valuations in England.
(258401)
51
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much revenue has been received by the Exchequer from property-related taxes in the last (a) 12 and (b) 24 months.
(258402)
52
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse has been of administering stamp duty land tax relief for zero-carbon homes.
(258403)
53
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has been made of the reasons for the level of take-up of stamp duty land tax relief for zero-carbon homes.
(258404)
54
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date the Financial Services Authority added each Icelandic bank to the list of authorised deposit-takers for local authorities.
(258405)
55
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many 16 and 17 year olds pay income tax.
(258406)
56
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times the regional economic council has met; and where each meeting was held.
(258407)
57
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent version of the Valuation Office Agency's (a) non-domestic rating Referencers Manual and (b) rating manual.
(258408)
58
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many households claimed inheritance tax loss on sale relief in the last 12 months; and what the thresholds and criteria are for claiming the relief.
(258409)
59
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield of 20 November 2008, Official Report, column 776W, on the Valuation Office: reorganisation, whether the Valuation Office Agency will be able to use property data previously held by the Rent Service for council tax valuations once the transfer of functions has taken place.
(258411)
60
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 19 March 2008, Official Report, column 1218W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned by the Valuation Office Agency with the value significant codes of (a) VC, (b) VE, (c) VH, (d) VI, (e) VL, (f) VM, (g) VO, (h) VP, (i) VR and (j) VS.
(258476)
61
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 5 March 2008, Official Report, column 2498W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned the dwellinghouse coding for parking of (a) G1, (b) G2, (c) G3, (d) G4, (e) G5, (f) G6, (g) G7, (h) G8 and (i) G9 according to records held by the Valuation Office Agency.
(258477)
62
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 14 May 2008, Official Report, column 1630W, on Valuation Office: publications, whether the Valuation Office Agency has produced an in-house staff email bulletin or intranet equivalent since June 2007.
(258478)
63
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 28 October 2008, Official Report, column 888W, on non-domestic rates: valuation, whether (a) micro wind turbines and (b) small-scale solar or photovoltaic cells will be (i) liable, (ii) valued and (iii) taxed for business rates as part of the 2010 revaluation process.
(258480)
64
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many individual locality groups the Valuation Office Agency uses to classify domestic dwellings in England.
(258496)
65
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 6 May 2008, Official Report, column 829W, on the Valuation Office: Northern Ireland and Property Services, if he will place in the Library a copy of the minutes of each of the eight meetings.
(258497)
66
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 17 October 2008, Official Report, column 1577W, on local government: banking services, when (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Services Authority was first informed of the financial vulnerability of Icelandic banking institutions.
(258498)
67
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 348W, on the Valuation Office, what each of the Valuation Office Agency's (a) regular management meetings and (b) project boards is.
(258499)
68
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 329W, on council tax: valuation, if he will place in the Library a copy of each of the two manuals.
(258500)
69
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment (a) his Department and (b) the Financial Services Authority has made of the effect of commission structures on the quality of investment advice to (i) private investors and (ii) public authorities, with particular reference to advice to public authorities on investment in Icelandic banks.
(258501)
70
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, which local authorities in (a) England and (b) Wales use the Valuebill interface to communicate with the Valuation Office Agency.
(258502)
71
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times bailiffs hired by HM Revenue and Customs used their powers of forced entry in the last year for which figures are available.
(258645)
72
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, in how many cases HM Revenue and Customs has commissioned bailiffs to recover tax arrears in the last year for which figures are available; and what HM Revenue and Customs' gross expenditure on bailiffs was in that period.
(258646)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
73
Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 1062W, on children: daycare, how much his Department is spending on (a) increasing awareness of the ban on physical punishment of children in childcare settings and (b) making parenting classes more widely available in 2008-09.
(258479)
74
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what guidance his Department has issued on the publication of minutes and decisions taken by local safeguarding children boards that do not relate to a particular case or individual; and if he will make a statement.
(258349)
75
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many local safeguarding children boards are chaired by (a) an independent chair, (b) the Director of Children's Services in the local authority, (c) a senior officer from the local health authority and (d) a senior officer from the local police authority; and if he will make a statement.
(258350)
76
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what indicators his Department uses to monitor the performance of local safeguarding children boards; and if he will make a statement.
(258351)
77
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment his Department has made of the compliance of local safeguarding children boards with the provisions of paragraph 5 (a) of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards Regulations 2006; and if he will make a statement.
(258352)
78
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what safeguards exist to ensure (a) openness and (b) fairness in the operation of local safeguarding children boards; and if he will make a statement.
(258354)
79
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what his policy on funding for the study of courses is for the International A-level in (a) physics and (b) chemistry in mainstream secondary schools.
(258677)
80
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much his Department allocated to support small schools in each of the last 10 years.
(258279)
81
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many small schools in each local education authority area have closed in each of the last 10 years.
(258283)
82
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of small schools Ofsted judged to be (a) outstanding, (b) good, (c) satisfactory and (d) inadequate in each of the last 10 years.
(258284)
83
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many (a) people and (b) schools have registered with the Sing Up website.
(258323)
84
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what percentage of primary school pupils in the relevant age category have taken part in the Sing Up programme.
(258324)
85
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, column 1967W, on schools: standards, which four local authorities are yet to have their National Challenge funding plans signed off; and if he will make a statement.
(258305)
86
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which maintained secondary schools have been included in (a) education action zones, (b) Excellence in Cities, (c) Fresh Start, (d) the London Challenge and (e) the National Challenge since 1997.
(258314)
87
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which maintained secondary schools have been (a) converted into and (b) replaced by academies since 1997.
(258315)
88
Tom Levitt (High Peak): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the effect on school budgets of changes to surface water charges by water companies.
(258681)
89
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many applications for care proceedings were made by local authorities in November (a) 2007 and (b) 2008.
(258302)
90
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many applications for residence orders were made by grandparents in (a) 2006, (b) 2007 and (c) 2008.
(258303)
91
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many applications local authorities made for care orders in (a) July 2008, (b) August 2008, (c) September 2008, (d) November 2008 and (e) December 2008.
(258304)
92
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils with special educational needs have been placed in residential care (a) inside and (b) outside their local authority area in each of the last 10 years.
(258345)
93
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children in care in 2008 had had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements whilst in care.
(258346)
94
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils in each year group with (a) statemented and (b) non-statemented special educational needs attended academies in each year since 2003.
(258347)
95
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, which 10 academies had the highest (a) number and (b) proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs in the last school year for which records are available.
(258348)
96
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many letters his Department has written to headteachers on special educational needs in the last 12 months; and if he will place a copy of each such letter in the Library.
(258648)
97
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much was spent on children in care in (a) secure units, homes and hostels, (b) other residential settings and (c) residential schools in each year since 1997.
(258649)
98
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children have been subject to (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five, (f) six, (g) seven, (h) eight, (i) nine, (j) 10 and (k) more than 10 care orders.
(258650)
99
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children at each age of first being taken into care who left care in 2008 had had more than (a) three, (b) five, (c) 10, (d) 20, (e) 30, (f) 40 and (g) 50 foster placements whilst they were in care.
(258651)
100
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what serious case reviews received by his Department had been sent by each local authority since 1 January 2007; and on what date each was received.
(258652)
101
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how much has been spent on the design of logos for his Department since its establishment.
(258653)
102
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many children of each age at adoption who were adopted in each year since 1997 waited more than (a) six, (b) 12, (c) 18, (d) 24, (e) 30, (f) 36, (g) 42, (h) 48, (i) 54 and (j) 60 months to be adopted.
(258654)
103
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2009, Official Report, columns 2263-64W, on special educational needs: young offender institutions, what the source was of the figure provided by the Learning and Skills Council for the number of young people in juvenile accommodation in young offender institutions referred to special educational needs co-ordinators.
(258699)
104
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many pupils attended special schools in each local authority area in each year since 1997.
(258729)
105
Tim Loughton (East Worthing & Shoreham): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, how many and what percentage of pupils with statements in each local authority area attended (a) mainstream primary, (b) mainstream secondary, (c) independent primary and (d) independent secondary schools in each year since 1997.
(258732)
106
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by Ofsted is in 2008-09.
(258529)
107
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.
(258530)
108
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what assessment he has made of the merits of a recalibration of the standards of A-levels.
(258459)
109
Mr Graham Stuart (Beverley & Holderness): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recent assessment he has made of standards at A-level; and if he will make a statement.
(258460)
110
Sarah Teather (Brent East): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, what recent steps his Department has taken on the conditions of employment for peripatetic teachers.
(258454)
111
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, whether the ContactPoint children's database (a) is fully accredited to Government standards and (b) has undergone a privacy impact assessment.
(258414)
Questions to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
112
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much was spent on transformational government projects in each year since 2005.
(258333)
113
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many applications were received in response to Cabinet Office vacancy notice REC/08/169 for a front of house assistant.
(258365)
114
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the Government's policy on the use of open source software is.
(258366)
115
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether the proposed new national internship scheme will apply to the Civil Service.
(258591)
116
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the wage bill was of each non-departmental public body in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258592)
117
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many full-time equivalent staff were employed in each (a) Government department, (b) executive agency and (c) non-departmental public body in (i) 1996-97 and (ii) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258593)
118
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of the Public Disclosure Act 1998 on (a) the Civil Service and (b) public authorities.
(258594)
119
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what estimate the Cabinet Office has made of the number of Government IT projects initiated in the last five years which are (a) over budget and (b) behind schedule.
(258595)
120
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many and what proportion of full-time (a) private sector employees and (b) public sector employees are members of a final salary pension scheme.
(258596)
121
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many British citizens were employed by the private sector in (a) 1997 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258597)
122
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether staff employed by (a) the Carbon Trust, (b) Envirowise, (c) the Energy Savings Trust, (d) Network Rail, (e) the regional development agencies and (f) UK Financial Investments Ltd, are deemed to be part of (i) the Civil Service, (ii) central government and (iii) the public sector, for the purpose of Office for National Statistics sector employee headcounts.
(258598)
123
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether staff employed in (a) non-Ministerial departments and (b) non-departmental public bodies are deemed to be part of (i) the Civil Service, (ii) central government and (iii) the public sector, for the purpose of Office for National Statistics sector employee headcounts.
(258599)
124
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the wage bill of each Government department was in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258600)
125
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the wage bill of each executive agency was in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258601)
126
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what procedures govern the advertisement of vacancies by (a) Government departments, (b) executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on the (i) publicly accessible and (ii) internal parts of the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
(258602)
127
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what (a) guidance and (b) advice the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Cabinet Secretary has provided to Government departments on the provision of departmental office space to trade unions for union representatives to use for union activities.
(258603)
128
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether he plans to increase the retirement pension age for the Civil Service pension schemes in line with the planned changes to the state retirement age.
(258604)
129
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what (a) guidance and (b) advice the (i) Cabinet Office and (ii) Cabinet Secretary has issued to Government departments on the process and procedure for public appointments.
(258605)
130
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many Government special advisers there were whose primary role was in dealing with the media (a) in 1997 and (b) at the most recent date for which information is available.
(258606)
131
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether the Information Commissioner was consulted on the provisions of the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (Disclosure of Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2009; and what advice the Commissioner gave in respect of the regulations.
(258607)
132
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how much was spent by executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies in (a) 1996-97 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.
(258608)
133
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many instances of the misuse of Government procurement cards within the Cabinet Office have been recorded in each of the last three years.
(258609)
134
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the Civil Service policy is on advertising Civil Service vacancies on the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway.
(258610)
135
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether the IT division of the Cabinet Office has a list of each database maintained by or on behalf of the Cabinet Office.
(258611)
136
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether the proposed new duty for the public sector to address social inequality contained in the New Opportunities White Paper is to apply to (a) executive agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies.
(258612)
137
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will make it his policy to enable members of the public to purchase 10 Downing Street gift shop products.
(258613)
138
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whether value added tax (VAT) is charged on VAT-liable items in (a) the Cabinet Office and (b) 10 Downing Street staff canteens; and whether retail prices on VAT-liable items have been reduced since December 2008.
(258614)
139
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, which public authorities have provided stress management training courses for their staff through the National School of Government in the last 36 months.
(258615)
140
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 467W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, on what date the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884 were (a) started and (b) completed.
(258616)
141
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 467W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, what the estimated budget for the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884 was before commencement of the works.
(258617)
142
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the mean wage of a full-time (a) private and (b) public sector worker was in each year since 1996-97.
(258618)
143
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2009, Official Report, column 202, on public information, what progress has been made on improving access to vacancies for Civil Service jobs.
(258620)
144
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 873W, on private detectives, on how many occasions since January 2003 individuals from the panel of independent investigators have been used to undertake internal investigations; and how long each such investigation lasted.
(258621)
145
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, columns 581-2W, on 10 Downing Street, if he will place in the Library a copy of the list of the retail prices for each item of merchandise.
(258622)
146
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, columns 581-2W, on 10 Downing Street, how many Downing Street-branded wallets have been sold by the gift shop in the last 18 months or nearest equivalent period for which figures are available.
(258623)
147
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the hon. Member for North East Hertfordshire of 26 March 2007, Official Report, columns 1348-49W, on departments: publications, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Central Office of Information's IPO Directory or equivalent publication for 1996.
(258655)
148
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 582W, which expert advisers other than those formally appointed as special advisers have been commissioned by his Department since June 2007.
(258656)
149
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 25 February 2008, Official Report, column 1184W, on civil servants: vacancies, how many of the jobs advertised on the staff-only part of the Civil Service Recruitment Gateway were subsequently advertised on the public part of the site.
(258657)
150
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the Answer of 18 December 2007, Official Report, column 1229W, on departmental email, for how long the contact email form on the Downing Street website has been unavailable for public communication; and what effect this unavailability will have on his Department's progress towards its strategic objective 4 in respect of avoidable contact.
(258669)
151
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 475W, on Government departments: standards, if he will place in the Library a copy of the handouts and presentations produced for the participants in the avoidable contact workshops.
(258670)
152
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 475W, on departmental standards, what steps (a) his Department and (b) 10 Downing Street is taking to reduce levels of avoidable contact with members of the public.
(258671)
153
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Norwood of 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 467W, on Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, which external contractors were used to undertake the works in 10 Downing Street associated with Westminster City Council planning application reference 08/00696/1884.
(258693)
154
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to his evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications on 5 November 2008, Question 568, what his definition of a substantial announcement is.
(258708)
155
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what change there will be as a result of the restructuring of the Cabinet Office Communications Directorate in (a) the number of the directorate's staff and (b) the directorate's aggregate staff wage bill.
(258712)
156
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what plans he has to introduce secondary legislation to facilitate data sharing under the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 apart from the draft Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 (Disclosure of Pupil Information) (England) Regulations 2009.
(258713)
157
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department's memorandum to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications of 14 October 2008, who the 13 special advisers were in post at 17 September 2008 who were employed primarily in the area of communications.
(258714)
158
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to paragraph 72 of his Department's memorandum presented to the House of Lords Communications Select Committee inquiry into Government communication of 14 October 2008, how many special advisers were employed primarily in the area of communications in 1996.
(258715)
159
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to page 5 of his Department's Civil Superannuation Resource Accounts 2007-08, HC 60, for what reason the decision was taken to close the Standard Life and Scottish Widows With-Profits Civil Service Additional Voluntary Contribution Scheme funds.
(258727)
160
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, with reference to the letter of 21 October 2008 from the Cabinet Office to the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications, how many communications staff were employed by each government department in 1996; and what the total number of communications staff was, using comparative methodology.
(258730)
161
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, if he will publish figures for the total expenditure by each (a) advisory and (b) executive non-departmental public body in (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.
(258731)
162
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant property recorded on the e-PIMS database at (a) Stockley House and (b) the Emergency Planning College is in 2008-09.
(258539)
163
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant property of the Charity Commission as recorded on the e-PIMS database at (a) Woodfield House and (b) Harmsworth House is in 2008-09.
(258540)
164
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Office for National Statistics is in 2008-09.
(258541)
165
Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, how many copies of PR Week are purchased each week by the Media Monitoring Unit.
(258278)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
166
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effect on flex-duty fire brigade officers of the proposed ending of the opt-out from the EU Working Time Directive.
(258640)
167
Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to implement the proposals of the Law Commission to facilitate the succession of secure tenancies of social housing to the children of couples upon their demise.
(258274)
168
Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to amend the Housing Act 1985 to facilitate the succession of a secure tenancy to the child of a couple following their demise.
(258275)
169
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has reduced its retail prices for items which attract value added tax, including in its canteens, since December 2008.
(258394)
170
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether Ordnance Survey has reduced its retail prices for items which attract value added tax since December 2008.
(258395)
171
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by Ordnance Survey is in 2008-09.
(258536)
172
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant property recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Government Offices for the Regions at (a) the Belgrave Centre, (b) the Westbrook Centre, (c) Riverwalk House, (d) 2 Rivergate, (e) Mast House and (f) Paradise Circus 77 is in 2008-09.
(258537)
173
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant property recorded on the e-PIMS database of (a) Sheffield House, (b) Hempstead House and (c) the Community Development Foundation is in 2008-09.
(258538)
174
Grant Shapps (Welwyn Hatfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what the cost of (a) production and (b) circulation of newsletters on the activities of each regional minister was in the last 12 months
(258688)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
175
Hilary Armstrong (North West Durham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what progress has been made towards meeting each of the objectives of the creative economy programme.
(258503)
176
Hilary Armstrong (North West Durham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support his Department is making available to small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative industries which are in difficulties during the economic slowdown.
(258504)
177
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, from which programme budgets his Department has transferred funds to assist with the costs of the Government Olympic Executive.
(258335)
178
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons he has decided to take up his Department's administration end year flexibility; and if he will make a statement.
(258336)
179
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, for what reasons he has taken up his Department's end year flexibility for museums and galleries; and if he will make a statement.
(258338)
180
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much the Gambling Commission spent on bonuses for its staff in each of the last three years.
(258509)
181
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much (a) the Big Lottery Fund, (b) the Heritage Lottery Fund, (c) English Heritage, (d) Arts Council England, (e) UK Sport, (f) the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council and (g) Sport England spent on bonuses for their staff in each of the last three years.
(258511)
182
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much was spent on bonuses for press officers within his Department in each of the last five years; and how many such bonuses were awarded.
(258512)
183
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent estimate he has made of the overlap between the 2 per cent. of households that cannot receive digital satellite services and the estimated 1.5 per cent. who will not have to be provided with a digital terrestrial signal after switchover; and if he will make a statement.
(258455)
184
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether the retail prices for entry and guided tours have been reduced as a result of the December 2008 reduction in value added tax in (a) the Wallace Collection, (b) the Victoria and Albert Museum, (c) the Tate, (d) the Royal Armouries Museum, (e) Sir John Soane's Museum, (f) the Natural History Museum, (g) the National Maritime Museum, (h) the National Museum of Science and Industry, (i) the National Gallery, (j) the Geffrye Museum and (k) the Horniman Public Museum.
(258391)
185
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, at which of its venues English Heritage (a) reduced and (b) did not reduce the retail prices of tickets following the December 2008 reduction in value added tax.
(258392)
186
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 3 February 2009, Official Report, column 978W, on 10 Downing Street: repairs and maintenance, if he will place in the Library (a) a copy of the non-intervention letter sent by English Heritage and (b) a copy of the plans that were sent to and are held by English Heritage, redacting elements which could compromise security arrangements.
(258585)
187
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 54W, on departmental art works, what the (a) title, (b) artist and (c) Government Art Collection reference number is of each Government Art Collection item reported as stolen in each year since 1997-98.
(258586)
188
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 54W, on Catz Club, for which projects and for what purpose each of the Lottery grants listed was made to Catz Club.
(258587)
189
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.
(258528)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Defence
190
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking in Afghanistan to increase levels of support from the Afghan public for NATO troops.
(258638)
191
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many hours on average were worked by (a) junior and (b) senior service personnel at each rank of each service in each age band in each week of the last 12 months.
(258312)
192
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the standard rifle used by (a) the Royal Marine Commando, (b) each UK special force and (c) each other UK service is in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan.
(258316)
193
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Mutual Defence Agreement 2004 has been amended to enable co-operation on the Reliable Replacement Warhead programme.
(258415)
194
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British personnel were involved in the design competition for the Reliable Replacement Warhead.
(258416)
195
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether British personnel were briefed on the results of the Reliable Replacement Warhead design competition.
(258417)
196
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the date was of each meeting of the Joint Working Group since 2001; and what the purpose of each meeting was.
(258424)
197
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether staff at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston follow similar concept design, development and production processes as in laboratories in the United States.
(258425)
198
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Mutual Defence Agreement 2004 has been amended to enable the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston to (a) undertake and (b) host work on the Reliable Replacement Warhead programme.
(258426)
199
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what visits have been made by (a) US personnel to Aldermaston and (b) Aldermaston personnel to (i) Los Alamos, (ii) Sandia and (iii) Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories in each year since 2003; and what the purpose of each of those visits was.
(258427)
200
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people in (a) the armed forces and (b) his Department receive the X-factor adjustment to military pay, broken down by rank.
(258428)
201
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the X-factor adjustment to military pay in supporting the salaries of service personnel.
(258429)
202
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the current salary bill for all service personnel is, broken down by (a) service and (b) rank.
(258430)
203
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's current salary bill is.
(258431)
204
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many officers of each rank have served in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan in each year since 2003.
(258432)
205
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Mutual Defence Agreement 2004 has been amended in order to (a) give the United Kingdom access to information on the use of control technologies and (b) enable the United Kingdom to participate in the Reliable Replacement Warhead programme.
(258433)
206
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether scientists from the United States have made use of hydrodynamic facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment for experiments on US warhead designs.
(258434)
207
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the United Kingdom has ever provided tritium for the United States nuclear weapons programme.
(258435)
208
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, with reference to the information placed in the Library in relation to the Answer of 12 November 2008, Official Report, column 1175W, on departmental civil servants, what the job descriptions are for the job family classifications (a) business management and improvement, (b) corporate support, (c) engineering and science, (d) estates, (e) logistics and (f) security, health and safety.
(258710)
209
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the retail prices for (a) entry and (b) guided tours have been reduced at the (i) National Army Museum, (ii) Royal Air Force Museum, (iii) Royal Marines Museum, (iv) Royal Naval Museum and (v) Royal Naval Submarine Museum as a result of the December 2008 reduction in value added tax.
(258388)
210
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recent estimate he has made of the number and proportion of members of the armed forces who are eligible to vote but who are not registered to vote.
(258393)
211
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, columns 32-3W, on departmental manpower, in which parts of the country civilian staff in the redeployment pool band D and equivalent and above are required to work.
(258590)
212
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department and (b) the Met Office is in 2008-09.
(258515)
213
N
Graham Stringer (Manchester, Blackley): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many phosphorus munitions have been used by NATO forces in Afghanistan in the last two years.
(257014)
214
N
Mark Williams (Ceredigion): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether any unmanned aerial vehicles tested at Parc Aberporth have been deployed by Israel in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.
(257361)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
215
Mr David Anderson (Blaydon): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of trends in the pump price of (a) liquefied petroleum gas and (b) other motor fuels in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
(258687)
216
Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans his Department has to reduce fuel poverty among Gypsy and Traveller communities.
(258683)
217
Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans his Department has to reduce fuel poverty among park home residents.
(258686)
218
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate he has made of the average amount billed for fuel consumption for (a) a one-bedroom flat, (b) a two-bedroom flat, (c) a three-bedroom house and (d) a four-bedroom house in (i) North Wiltshire constituency, (ii) Wiltshire, (iii) London and (iv) England in the last 12 months.
(258280)
219
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much has been spent by the UK Government on energy-saving measures in rural communities in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales in each of the last five years.
(258311)
220
Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will make an assessment of the reductions in carbon dioxide emissions achieved by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council through pilot trials of burning wood pellets in fossil fuel appliances.
(258276)
221
Mr Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will encourage local authorities to switch from burning fossil fuels to burning wood pellets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
(258277)
222
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department has awarded under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme in each quarter since it was established.
(258456)
223
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department has awarded to microgeneration of heat and electricity projects under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme, broken down by specific technologies supported.
(258457)
224
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, how much his Department has awarded under Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme to (a) charitable sector organisations and (b) each public sector department and body.
(258458)
225
Mr David Laws (Yeovil): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the effect of the economic recession on the renewable energy sector; and if he will make a statement.
(258313)
226
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and (b) the UK Atomic Energy Authority is in 2008-09.
(258531)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
227
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many animal welfare charities based in the UK have received funds from the public purse in each of the last five years; and how much was awarded to each.
(258287)
228
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of recreational sea angling to the North Devon economy.
(258420)
229
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many people resident in North Devon are employed in the North Devon recreational sea angling sector.
(258421)
230
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many recreational sea anglers are estimated to visit North Devon each year.
(258422)
231
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effect that Article 47 of the EU Proposal for the Monitoring of Recreational Fisheries would have on recreational sea angling.
(258423)
232
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the retail prices for (a) entry and (b) guided tours have been reduced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew as a result of the December 2008 reduction in value added tax.
(258387)
233
Mr Brooks Newmark (Braintree): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much his Department has spent on flood prevention measures in Essex in the last 12 months.
(258299)
234
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.
(258513)
235
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Consumer Council for Water and (b) the Environment Agency is in 2008-09.
(258527)
236
Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice the Environment Agency has given to the Highways Authority on building on the flood risk area in relation to the Roscommon Way Extension, Canvey Island; and if he will make a statement.
(258344)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
237
Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the government of Ethiopia on the detention of Birtukan Mideksa; and if he will make a statement.
(258690)
238
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how frequently his Department (a) reviews and (b) updates its travel advice to British citizens.
(258495)
239
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's foreign policy of changes in US foreign policy towards Russia.
(258696)
240
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the arrest and charge of seven members of the Baha'i leadership in Iran on 11 February 2009; and if he will make a statement.
(258481)
241
Mr Alistair Carmichael (Orkney and Shetland): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Iranian authorities to allow independent observers to be present at any trial of the seven members of the Baha'i leadership in Iran charged on 11 February 2009.
(258482)
242
N
Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which members of the pre-March 2003 Iraqi government have been detained by coalition forces or the Iraqi government since that time; for what period each was detained; whether each is still detained; and when charges were brought against each such detainee.
(257964)
243
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Sri Lankan government on (a) the prevention of civilian casualties and (b) protection for displaced people in Sri Lanka.
(258466)
244
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with representatives of the Sri Lankan government on freedom of religious expression in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement.
(258467)
245
Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of (a) field-based and (b) office-based Secret Intelligence Service officers were of each (a) ethnicity, (b) religious faith and (c) sex in each year since 2001.
(258551)
246
N
Laura Moffatt (Crawley): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Gaza.
(257930)
247
Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on (a) the detention of Dr Wang Bingzhang by the Chinese authorities and (b) the physical condition of Dr Wang Bingzhang; what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the matter; and if he will make a statement.
(258642)
248
Mr Michael Moore (Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 354, on arms trade: exports, what assessment he has made of the compliance of UK legislation with the operational requirements of the EU Common Position on defining common rules governing the control of exports of military technology and equipment as set out in Articles 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12 and 13; and if he will make a statement.
(258643)
249
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps are being taken to ensure the payment of pensions to former Zimbabwean public servants now residing in the UK; and if he will make a statement.
(258266)
250
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what research his Department conducted on likely levels of demand for its Partner University Placement Scheme among eligible groups prior to the scheme's inception.
(258547)
251
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department's Partner University Placement Scheme was established; and how many students have taken part in the scheme.
(258548)
252
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the eligibility criteria for students wishing to take part in his Department's Partner University Placement Scheme are.
(258549)
253
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what opportunities for work experience directorates of his Department offer to university students who are not (a) entitled to a full maintenance grant and (b) eligible for work experience schemes offered to those from a minority ethnic background.
(258627)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Health
254
Ms Diane Abbott (Hackney North & Stoke Newington): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assistance his Department provides to women from Northern Ireland who come to England to have an abortion; and if he will make a statement.
(258508)
255
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many individuals aged over 65 years resident in each (a) London borough and (b) Government office region were treated for alcohol-related health problems in each of the last five years.
(258641)
256
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place for periodic assessment of the (a) qualifications and (b) competence of doctors; and what checks are carried out to assess whether medical qualifications obtained overseas by persons seeking to practise medicine in the UK are comparable with those obtained in the UK.
(258491)
257
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what data his Department collects on the number of (a) requests for house calls by GPs and (b) house calls made by GPs.
(258673)
258
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people have been diagnosed with (a) Fabry disease and (b) general lysosomal storage disorders in the last 12 months; and what (i) therapy and (ii) treatment is available for such conditions in the NHS.
(258418)
259
Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of (a) the total population and (b) those over 60 years of age with (i) dementia and (ii) Alzheimer's syndrome.
(258419)
260
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much and what proportion of the budget of each London (a) health authority and (b) foundation trust is expected to be top-sliced to fund debt in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement.
(258262)
261
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what testing will be offered to patients with bleeding disorders exposed to the risk of infection of vCJD from transfusions; and if he will make a statement.
(258720)
262
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients with bleeding disorders have been contacted to inform them of the level of risk of infection of vCJD they may have been exposed to from NHS transfusions; and if he will make a statement.
(258721)
263
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what communication strategy his Department has undertaken in order to inform patients with bleeding disorders of the risk of infection of vCJD from NHS transfusions; what the cost of that strategy is; and if he will make a statement.
(258722)
264
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the National CJD Surveillance Unit informed his Department of evidence of infection of a patient with a bleeding disorder with vCJD transmitted by a transfusion; and if he will make a statement.
(258723)
265
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the potential financial liability to the NHS arising from claims from patients with bleeding disorders infected with vCJD from NHS transfusions; and if he will make a statement.
(258724)
266
Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 240W, on maternity services, which organisations have been identified as continuing to demonstrate a failure to grip recovery on maternity services; and what steps are to be taken as a consequence.
(258703)
267
Sandra Gidley (Romsey): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department plans to take to ensure that competition and choice are taken into consideration by primary care trusts when considering new pharmacy applications; and if he will make a statement.
(258396)
268
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many and what percentage of women in Wiltshire with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks of referral in each of the last five years.
(258282)
269
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans his Department has to reduce levels of obesity amongst (a) women of child-bearing age and (b) pregnant women.
(258286)
270
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what proportion of adults in (a) North Wiltshire constituency, (b) Wiltshire and (c) England received treatment from a dentist under the NHS in each of the last 10 years.
(258291)
271
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what each measured waiting list time in each NHS institution serving North Wiltshire constituency was in each of the last 10 years.
(258292)
272
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists were operating under (a) general dental services contracts and (b) personal dental services agreements in (i) North Wiltshire constituency, (ii) Wiltshire, (iii) Swindon, (iv) London and (v) England in each year since 1997.
(258293)
273
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much NHS funding has been allocated to dentistry provision in North Wiltshire constituency in each year since 2004.
(258294)
274
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will outline his Department's policy on the treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes.
(258436)
275
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the British Committee on Standards in Haematology guidelines on myelodysplastic syndromes will be updated to take into account advances in research and treatment since the last published guidelines in 2003.
(258437)
276
Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what consideration his Department has given to the variations in levels of access to supportive treatment for patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.
(258438)
277
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent assessment he has made of the merits of an integrated strategy for the prevention, treatment and care of (a) heart disease, (b) stroke, (c) diabetes and (d) kidney disease; and if he will make a statement.
(258443)
278
Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of provision of dedicated epilepsy nurses in neurology departments.
(258682)
279
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many responses his Department received to its consultation on proposed changes to the legislative framework for health and social care complaints.
(258322)
280
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, in what ways the proposed new social care complaints procedure for adults will differ from the procedure for complaints in social care for children.
(258469)
281
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms there are in the proposed new social care complaints procedure to enable a director of adult care to highlight faults in the system.
(258470)
282
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether complainants will retain their right to independent scrutiny of their complaint under the proposed new social care complaints procedure; and if he will make a statement.
(258471)
283
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many independent review panels were held in 2006 to 2008; and what assessment he has made of levels of complainant satisfaction with the process.
(258472)
284
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many social care complaints were independently investigated in 2006-07; and how many were found to be valid.
(258473)
285
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the merits of the proposed changes to the social care complaints system whereby complaints would be dealt with by front line staff who provide the complainant's care.
(258474)
286
John Mann (Bassetlaw): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many complaints which were independently investigated under the social care complaints procedure which progress to stage 2 overturned the findings at the local resolution stage in the most recent period for which information is available.
(258475)
287
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood of 27 January 2009, Official Report, columns 410-11W, on NICE: Weber-Shandwick, whether the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
(258583)
288
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many times each of the Ministers in his Department visited (a) a hospital, (b) a dental practice, (c) an accident and emergency department, (d) a GP practice, (e) an ambulance service trust and (f) an independent sector treatment centre in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.
(258319)
289
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of measles in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire.
(258320)
290
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cases of (a) syphilis, (b) HIV infection and (c) gonorrhoea have been diagnosed in (i) Hemel Hempstead and (ii) Hertfordshire in each of the last 10 years.
(258321)
291
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many children under 16 years in England were treated within community dental services in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.
(258325)
292
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions officials from his Department have had with the Enterprise Directorate General of the European Commission on the potential effects on small and medium-sized businesses of the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive.
(258326)
293
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects the European Commission will propose maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive; what procedures will apply to the adoption of those proposals; and if he will make a statement.
(258327)
294
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he plans to take to ensure the availability of higher potency vitamin and mineral supplements on the UK market.
(258328)
295
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent representations he has received from (a) independent health food retailers and (b) consumers about the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive.
(258329)
296
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he next expects a Minister from his Department to meet the European Commissioners responsible for DG SANCO to discuss the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive.
(258330)
297
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, on what occasions he has discussed with (a) the European Commissioners responsible for DG SANCO and (b) each of his counterparts from other EU member states the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in food supplements under the provisions of Article 5 of the EU Food Supplements Directive in the last 12 months.
(258331)
298
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Health and Social Care Information Centre, (b) NHS Connecting for Health, (c) NHS Estates and (d) the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is in 2008-09.
(258518)
299
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Commission for Social Care Inspection is in 2008-09.
(258519)
300
N
Mr Ben Wallace (Lancaster & Wyre): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what studies his Department has undertaken into the costs of administering healthcare in rural locations.
(254724)
Questions to the Secretary of State for the Home Department
301
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 21 August 2008 concerning Mr Dennis Green of Cheam.
(258489)
302
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam of 11 September 2008 concerning Mr David Hughes of Sutton.
(258490)
303
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent the (a) conversion to live fire of and (b) distribution of blank-firing firearms.
(258492)
304
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of serious crimes reported to the police led to prosecutions in each London borough in the last 12 months.
(258493)
305
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in the last five years in Greater London; and how many persons to whom such orders have been issued have demonstrated anti-social behaviour in that period.
(258711)
306
Mr Douglas Carswell (Harwich): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what powers she prohibited Mr Geert Wilders from entering the UK.
(258672)
307
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to prevent fraud against private enterprises by persons impersonating individuals known to be dead.
(258288)
308
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many incidents of (a) abandoned vehicles, (b) animal problems, (c) hoax calls to emergency services, (d) malicious communications, (e) noise, (f) rowdy or nuisance behaviour by neighbours, (g) rowdy or inconsiderate behaviour in public, (h) street drinking, (i) substance misuse, (j) trespass, (k) inappropriate use or sale of fireworks, (l) begging or vagrancy and (m) hate incidents, as defined by the National Incident Category List, were recorded by each police force in 2007-08.
(258634)
309
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of (a) assistance to other agencies, (b) bail or curfew checks, (c) complaints against police and (d) police-generated resource activity, as defined by the National Incident Category List, were recorded by each police force in 2007-08.
(258635)
310
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many instances of (a) firearms incidents, (b) licensing incidents, (c) suspicious circumstances and (d) truancy, as defined by the National Incident Category List, were recorded by each police force in 2007-08.
(258636)
311
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to Table 1.03 of her Department's Statistical Bulletin 02/09 on homicides, firearm offences and intimate violence 2007-08, if she will break down the figures by age of victim.
(258704)
312
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2009, Official Report, column 2056W, on the Tackling Knives Action Programme, how many convictions for possession of a knife were recorded in each of the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme areas between June and November in each of the last five years.
(258717)
313
Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 11 February 2009, Official Report, column 2056W, on the Tackling Knives Action Programme, what the figure of 815 more convictions for possession of a knife or offensive weapon in the 10 Tackling Knives Action Programme areas represents as a percentage increase.
(258718)
314
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many arrests of a person with a mental health disorder took place in each of the last five years.
(258340)
315
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people detained in a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 were held in police cells in each of the last five years.
(258341)
316
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were detained in a place of safety under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 in each of the last five years.
(258342)
317
N
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2009, Official Report, column 819W, on immigration: Peterborough, how many of the 200 other non-EEA nationals were of each nationality; and if she will make a statement.
(257965)
318
N
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people who previously resided in the Peterborough City Council area and had no legal basis to remain in the United Kingdom were deported in the three months up to September 2008; and if she will make a statement.
(257966)
319
N
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, at which location the UK Border Agency holds paper files on people resident in the administrative area of Peterborough City Council who are applying for indefinite leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.
(257967)
320
N
Mr Stewart Jackson (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people in the Peterborough City Council administrative area are appealing against refusal to grant indefinite leave to remain; and if she will make a statement.
(257968)
321
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police officers there were in Herefordshire constabulary in (a) 1997 and (b) 2007; what estimate she has made of the number of police officers there will be on 31 December 2009; and if she will make a statement.
(258300)
322
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) adult females, (b) adult males and (c) children were detained in an immigration removal centre in each year since 2000.
(258268)
323
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals who had worked as a prostitute in the UK were subsequently detained in an immigration removal centre in each year since 2000.
(258269)
324
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many individuals who had worked as a prostitute in the UK were subsequently detained in prison in each year since 2000.
(258270)
325
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to monitor the number of individuals who have worked as prostitutes and have subsequently been detained in (a) prisons and (b) immigration removal centres; and what schemes are available to offer support to such individuals.
(258271)
326
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department has allocated to the Government's Co-ordinated Prostitution Strategy in the last 12 months; and how much of this has been allocated to the Ugly Mugs scheme.
(258309)
327
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to monitor local authority provision of services to individuals who work as prostitutes.
(258310)
328
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department is spending on the Poppy project in 2008-09.
(258445)
329
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what capacity the Poppy project has to provide intensive support for the initial four-week support period.
(258446)
330
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what mechanisms are in place to monitor the work of the Poppy project, including (a) how public funds are spent, (b) the capacity of the project in relation to demand, (c) the quality of counselling provided and (d) checks on volunteers.
(258447)
331
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) full-time staff, (b) fully-qualified counsellors and (c) fully-qualified translators are employed by the Poppy project.
(258448)
332
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what conditions apply to people receiving services provided by the Poppy project on (a) the initial four-week support, (b) support for resettlement, (c) compensation through (i) the courts and (ii) the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme and (d) eligibility for the new renewable one-year residence permits.
(258449)
333
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many identified victims of trafficking received from the Poppy project (a) the initial four week support, (b) support for resettlement, (c) compensation through (i) the courts and (ii) the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme, (d) eligibility for the new renewable one-year residence permits and (e) other services in each of the last five years.
(258450)
334
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many identified victims of trafficking were denied services from the Poppy project in each of the last five years due to (a) the project's limited capacity and (b) the refusal by the victim to co-operate with prosecutions; and what other options for support are available for victims in such cases.
(258451)
335
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time to decide on applications for asylum received has been since 2006.
(258465)
336
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1630W, on telecommunications: databases, what her most recent estimate is of the cost of the Interception Modernisation Programme to the nearest billion pounds.
(258582)
337
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 723W, on Risk Analysis UK, what use her Department made of (a) Kroll Associates, (b) Risk Analysis UK Ltd and (c) other private investigators between June 2001 and May 2005; and for what purposes.
(258588)
338
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 238W, on departmental ICT, how many staff in her Department and its agencies have the status of embedded communicators and are not listed in the Central Office of Information White Book.
(258589)
339
Patrick Mercer (Newark): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many and what proportion of (a) field-based and (b) office-based Security Service officers were of each (a) ethnicity, (b) religious faith and (c) sex in each year since 2001.
(258552)
340
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average length of time was to determine applications for foreign medical students to extend their student visas in the last period for which figures are available.
(258630)
341
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what provisions the UK Border Agency applies in determining the length of student visas for foreign students wishing to study at educational institutions in the UK.
(258631)
342
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign students were (a) granted and (b) refused student visas for the purpose of completing medical training in the UK in the last period for which figures are available.
(258632)
343
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what procedures are applied by the UK Border Agency to the grant of student visas to foreign medical students who require more than four years to complete their training.
(258633)
344
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) her Department, (b) HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and (c) the UK Border Agency is in 2008-09.
(258514)
345
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 18 November 2008, Official Report, column 329W, on the UK Border Agency: lost property, how many files the figure of less than 0.2 per cent. represents; how many principal immigration case files the UK Border Agency holds; and from which date that file holding commences.
(258700)
Questions to the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission
346
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether hon. Members and their staff are (a) permitted and (b) able to instal Pretty Good Privacy encryption software on their computers; and what support PICT provides to hon. Members' offices in this regard.
(258379)
347
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the retail ticket prices for the summer opening tours of Parliament will be reduced in line with the reduction in valued added tax.
(258380)
348
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether valued added tax (VAT) is charged on VAT-liable items in each of the House restaurants, vending machines, bars and canteens; and whether retail prices on VAT-liable items have been reduced since December 2008.
(258381)
349
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, whether the retail prices in the House of Commons gift shop for items which attract valued added tax were reduced following the December 2008 reduction in value added tax.
(258382)
350
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 19 February 2008, Official Report, column 546W, on trade unions, what the estimated cost to the public purse of the provision of facilities for the exclusive use of trade unions was in each of the last three years.
(258659)
351
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 19 February 2008, Official Report, column 546W, on trade unions, what guidance and advice has been produced on the use for political activity of the facilities allocated for the exclusive use of the trade unions.
(258660)
352
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the Answer of 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 64W, on the political levy, if he will amend the staff handbook for House of Commons staff to inform them of their right to opt out of the political levies operated by those recognised trade unions which have a political fund.
(258664)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
353
Hilary Armstrong (North West Durham): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many innovation vouchers have been applied for by applicants from each industrial sector.
(258505)
354
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what percentage of university entrants were home schooled in each of the last 10 years.
(258281)
355
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which universities providing social work degrees have stated their intention to cease providing them; and when they did so.
(258468)
356
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many places on the planned national internship programme are expected to be available annually.
(258389)
357
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 18 February 2008, Official Report, column 396W, on the political levy, what funding his Department has provided to trades unions through the Union Learning Fund to promote awareness and understanding of trades union members' right to opt out of political funds.
(258584)
358
Mr Brooks Newmark (Braintree): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what schemes his Department has in place to assist with re-training people with more than five GCSEs.
(258298)
359
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.
(258525)
360
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Learning and Skills Council is in 2008-09.
(258526)
361
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): 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 the provision of (a) career development loans and (b) professional development loans by UK banks to students.
(258439)
362
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, when the commissioned reports from users of higher education were placed on his Department's website; and how these reports were publicised.
(258461)
363
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many submissions for capital projects were considered at the 17 December 2008 meeting of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council; and how many were applications in (a) principle and (b) detail.
(258462)
364
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, which (a) further education and (b) sixth form colleges made submissions for capital projects which were considered at the 17 December 2008 meeting of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council; and which of those submissions were applications in (i) principle and (ii) detail.
(258463)
365
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, what records are held by his Department on meetings of the Learning and Skills Council's National Council.
(258464)
366
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much his Department and its predecessor spent on courses in English for speakers of other languages in each of the last five years, broken down by course level.
(258544)
367
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many courses in English for speakers of other languages paid for from the public purse were (a) started and (b) completed in each of the last five years.
(258545)
368
Mr David Willetts (Havant): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how much has been paid to each higher education institution through the Access to Learning Fund in each year since 2005-06.
(258546)
Questions to the Secretary of State for International Development
369
Lyn Brown (West Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department plans to increase the assistance it provides to (a) disarmament, (b) demobilisation, (c) repatriation, (d) reintegration and (e) rehabilitation programmes in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(258689)
370
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate he has made of the number of short-term projects set up in Afghanistan to aid reconstruction.
(258639)
371
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what reports he has received on the operation of the UNICEF programme for distribution of potable water to the cholera-affected areas of Zimbabwe.
(258289)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice
372
Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the monthly costs incurred by his Department in (a) legal and (b) accountancy fees relating to its handling on behalf of the Isle of Man Government of the issue of Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man).
(258318)
373
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to ensure that employment tribunal hearing centres have (a) hearing aid loops and (b) wheelchair access; and if he will make a statement.
(258353)
374
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much legal aid has been granted to claimants in cases relating to alleged discrimination of each type in (a) goods and services and (b) employment in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
(258355)
375
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what new facilities and developments are planned for HM Prison Young Offender Institution Parc; and what the cost of that work will be in the next 12 months, broken down by category of expenditure.
(258550)
376
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of trainee probation officers who qualified in 2008 and thereafter applied to join the Probation Service have not subsequently been employed by the Probation Service; and for what reason each was not employed.
(258674)
377
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers at each grade there were in each prison in England and Wales in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the likely numbers at each grade in the next 12 months.
(258678)
378
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) largest, (b) smallest and (c) average number of offenders under the supervision of one probation officer was in each of the last 10 years.
(258679)
379
Mr Edward Garnier (Harborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much he has budgeted to spend on external consultants in 2009.
(258680)
380
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many fires there have been in each prison in each of the last five years.
(258285)
381
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders aged 21 years or over received a caution for sexual activity with a child under 13 years in each year since 2004.
(258332)
382
Mr Dominic Grieve (Beaconsfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the budget for custody diversion teams was in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2006-07 and (d) 2005-06.
(258339)
383
Mr Elfyn Llwyd (Meirionnydd Nant Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the performance against objectives of the management of each probation area in England and Wales.
(258301)
384
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues on provisions in the Coroners and Justice Bill to facilitate data sharing between public authorities and private sector firms.
(258384)
385
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to undertake a privacy impact assessment of the provisions on information sharing orders contained in the Coroners and Justice Bill.
(258385)
386
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the Land Registry has reduced its retail prices for items which attract value added tax since December 2008.
(258386)
387
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 519W, on political parties: finance, which public authority will decide whether an hon. Member's expenditure was triggered as a result of breaching the rules on the communications allowance.
(258580)
388
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 871W, on Government departments: privacy, how many privacy impact assessments for Government projects have been commissioned.
(258662)
389
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 15 December 2008, Official Report, columns 478-9W, on political parties: finance, whether an hon. Member who triggered their election expenses by virtue of prejudicing the electoral prospects of another candidate at the election would be required to count any subsequent expenditure from the communications allowance as regulated election spending.
(258663)
390
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the (a) Land Registry, (b) National Probation Directorate and (c) HM Courts Service is in 2008-09.
(258535)
391
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1597-8W, on departmental written questions, which Question for which the cost of answer was estimated to be over the disproportionate cost threshold was answered.
(258701)
Questions to the Leader of the House
392
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 22 January 2009, Official Report, columns 1570-71W, on Members' expenses, what consideration she gave to consulting the Information Commissioner on the provisions of the draft Freedom of Information (Parliament) Order 2009.
(258665)
393
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Leader of the House, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 12 January 2008, Official Report, column 1W, on Members: allowances, what criteria govern the assessment of the merits of a request for an advance on a hon. Member's communications allowance.
(258667)
394
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Leader of the House, how many Henry VIII clauses were contained in primary legislation enacted in Session 2007-08.
(258694)
Questions to the Minister for the Olympics
395
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, what procedures (a) the Olympic Delivery Authority and (b) its contractors follow in employing persons to work on the Olympic Park site; and if she will make a statement.
(258716)
396
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, how many staff worked in the Government Olympic Executive in each of the last three years.
(258334)
397
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, how much has been spent on the Government Olympic Executive in each of the last three years.
(258337)
398
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, how much was paid to CLM Delivery Partners in each of the last three years.
(258343)
399
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, where the medals for the London 2012 Olympics will be struck.
(258295)
400
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, which firms tendered for the contract to create the medals for the London 2012 Olympics.
(258296)
401
Mr Paul Keetch (Hereford): To ask the Minister for the Olympics, where the raw materials for the medals for the London 2012 Olympics will be sourced; and if she will make a statement.
(258297)
Questions to the Prime Minister
402
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Prime Minister, how many Orders in Council have been passed by Ministers using Privy Council powers since he took office as Prime Minister.
(258375)
403
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Prime Minister, for what reasons the Downing Street website no longer hosts video footage of Prime Minister's Questions.
(258376)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Scotland
404
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Answer of 5 November 2008, Official Report, columns 461-2W, on departmental procurement, for what reason representatives from the Scotland Office required overnight accommodation at the resort in South Wales.
(258581)
Questions to the Solicitor General
405
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Solicitor General, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, column 1858W, what circumstances are covered by the category described as essential legal element missing; and if she will make a statement.
(258705)
406
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Solicitor General, how much the HM Revenue and Customs Prosecutions Office paid in (a) parking and (b) congestion charge fines in the last year for which figures are available.
(258368)
407
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Solicitor General, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Crown Prosecution Service is in 2008-09.
(258534)
Questions to the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission
408
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, how many staff have taken (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory redundancy from the Electoral Commission in the last 24 months; and what the total cost of redundancy payments has been, including matching pension contributions.
(258390)
409
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the honourable Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Chichester of 12 January 2009, Official Report, columns 4-5W, on policy advisers, what political declaration was made by each expert adviser who made such a declaration.
(258666)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Transport
410
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many days stock of gritting agent the Highways Agency held on (a) 31 January 2009 and (b) 6 February 2009; and if he will make a statement.
(258543)
411
Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much public subsidy was paid to (a) First Capital Connect and (b) the predecessor franchisee WAGN in each year since 2000; and if he will make a statement.
(258356)
412
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department has made available to improve disabled access transport services in North Wiltshire constituency.
(258290)
413
Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 9 February 2009, Official Report, column 1606W, on rolling stock, what the timetable is for ordering the remaining 877 of the 1,300 carriages referred to in the 2007 White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Railway.
(258719)
414
David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many local authorities have withdrawn (a) companion bus passes for those accompanying (i) deafblind and (ii) other disabled people and (b) peak bus travel entitlement since the introduction of the national concessionary bus fares scheme.
(258264)
415
David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) elderly and (b) disabled people in England affected by the withdrawal of (i) companion passes for those accompanying (A) deafblind and (B) other disabled people and (ii) peak travel entitlement since the introduction of the national concessionary bus fares scheme.
(258265)
416
David Howarth (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether a disability equality impact assessment was conducted prior to the introduction of the new national concessionary bus fares scheme; and if he will make a statement.
(258308)
417
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether any of the new rail rolling stock recently announced by his Department will be fitted out for use as sleeper accommodation.
(258440)
418
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to support the provision of sleeper rail services where these compete with domestic or short-haul international air travel services; and if he will make a statement.
(258441)
419
Mr Charles Kennedy (Ross, Skye and Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new rail rolling stock recently announced by his Department will be suitable for use on routes north of Edinburgh which are served by the East Coast Main Line franchise.
(258442)
420
John McDonnell (Hayes & Harlington): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the terms of reference of his Department's staff handbook streamlining project are.
(258619)
421
Anne Main (St Albans): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for the scheme to widen the M1 between junctions 10 and 13; and if he will make a statement.
(258306)
422
Julie Morgan (Cardiff North): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for which bargaining units in his Department (a) public and privilege days and (b) annual leave entitlements accrue during (i) ordinary and (ii) additional maternity leave.
(258629)
423
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) his Department, (b) the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, (c) the Driving Standards Agency, (d) the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency, (e) the Government Car and Despatch Agency and (f) the Highways Agency is in 2008-09.
(258522)
424
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the British Railways Board (Residuary Ltd) is in 2008-09.
(258523)
425
Mr Hugo Swire (East Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the merits of setting maximum passenger levels for rail services.
(258267)
Questions to the Minister for Women and Equality
426
Mr Jeremy Hunt (South West Surrey): To ask the Minister for Women and Equality, how much the Government Equalities Office has spent on (a) pot plants and (b) flowers in each year since it was established.
(258510)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
427
Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions where the Child Support Agency was not able to make deductions directly from non-resident parents' benefit due to technical difficulties in the last three years it was (a) possible and (b) not possible to establish why the technical fault occurred.
(258647)
428
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the address is of each Jobcentre which has closed in the London Borough of Sutton since 2002; on what date each closed; and if he will make a statement.
(258542)
429
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1807-8W, on state retirement pensions, if he will estimate the cost of increasing the age addition to (a) 50 pence, (b) £1, (c) £5 and (d) £10 and linking it to (i) earnings and (ii) prices in each of the next five years; and how many people currently receive the addition.
(258707)
430
Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in receipt of (a) attendance allowance and (b) disability living allowance have recorded dementia as a qualifying medical condition on their applications for benefit; what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on automatic enrolment for the (i) 25 per cent. council tax discount for two person households where one of the residents is in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance and (ii) 100 per cent. council tax discount where a single person household is in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance; what estimate his Department has made of the take up of the (A) 25 per cent. and (B) 100 per cent. council tax discounts amongst households in receipt of attendance allowance or disability living allowance; and if he will make a statement.
(258726)
431
Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Newport West constituency (a) were eligible to claim and (b) claimed the Winter Fuel Allowance in 2007-08.
(258684)
432
Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to increase the take up of the Winter Fuel Allowance, with particular reference to men aged between 60 and 65 years.
(258685)
433
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place in the Library a copy of the internal guidance used by his Department to assign traffic light gradings to Parliamentary Questions.
(258383)
434
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 13 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1303-4W, on departmental databases, what ACORN codes were used to help identify the postcode sectors in the 50 local authorities referred to in the Answer.
(258661)
435
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by (a) the Rent Service and (b) the Health and Safety Executive is in 2008-09.
(258520)
436
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by his Department is in 2008-09.
(258521)
437
Sarah Teather (Brent East): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which women's pension entitlement is affected by them taking time off work to care for children.
(258453)
438
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 573W, on departmental data protection, whether the Customer Information System (a) is accredited to his Department's information systems security standards and (b) was so accredited before 1 July 2008.
(258702)
439
Mr Shailesh Vara (North West Cambridgeshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2009, Official Report, column 573W, on departmental data protection, whether a privacy impact assessment has been carried out on the Customer Information System.
(258706)
Questions to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
440
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, what steps he has taken to create British jobs for British workers since 24 September 2007.
[Transferred] (258709)
Questions to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer
441
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assumed hourly cost to departments of the work required from civil servants in preparing answers to questions is used to calculate whether a parliamentary Question would incur a disproportionate cost; and what changes to the assumed cost for the preparation of an answer there have been since 1997.
[Transferred] (258378)
442
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many of the up to 100,000 new jobs he plans to create will be in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector; and over what period of time the jobs will be created.
[Transferred] (258728)
443
Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the estimated cost in empty property business rates for the vacant properties recorded on the e-PIMS database owned by the Government Actuary's Department is in 2008-09.
[Transferred] (258517)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
444
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which banks and building societies are participating in the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme.
[Transferred] (258675)
445
Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when she expects the Homeowner Mortgage Support Scheme to begin.
[Transferred] (258676)
Questions to the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
446
Fiona Mactaggart (Slough): To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, how many universities are planning to close their social work departments.
[Transferred] (258413)
Questions to the Prime Minister
447
Mr Francis Maude (Horsham): To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2009, Official Report, column 541W, on Ministers: pensions, whether Lord Falconer of Thoronton is to receive (a) a pension equivalent to that received by other Secretaries of State in the House of Lords, (b) a pension entitlement derived from the provisions of the Lord Chancellor's Pension Act 1832 as amended or (c) a pension settlement on another basis in respect of his service as Lord Chancellor; and if he will make a statement.
[Transferred] (258692)

 
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