Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Thursday 16 January 2003

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Thursday 16 January 2003, of which previous notice has been given in the Notices of Questions paper. They are arranged in alphabetical order of answering Department.

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.

THURSDAY 16th JANUARY

1   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assessment he has made of the advantages of sub-dividing the South East Region so that Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey comprise one new region.

(91534)

2   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many cycle response units are in service with the London Ambulance Service; in which London Boroughs they are situated; how many are due to be introduced in 2003; and if he will make a statement.

(91654)

3   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many vacancies there are within the London Ambulance Service for frontline paramedics; and if he will make a statement.

(91676)

4   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of frontline London ambulance staff have been issued with anti-stab vests; and if he will make a statement.

(91677)

5
N   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list for (a) London Borough of Waltham Forest, (b) London Borough of Redbridge and (c) London boroughs as a whole (i) the amount of grant received in the 2002-03 settlement and what percentage this was of the overall national settlement and (ii) the amount of grant received in the 2003-04 settlement and what percentage this is of the overall national settlement.

(91094)

6
N   Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which London local authorities have received the floor level of grant in the recent local authorities financial settlement; and if he will make a statement on the reasons underlying the decision in each case.

(91095)

7
N   Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what budget he has set aside for the likely cost of the London congestion charge.

(91099)

8   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, whether people who work for the Audit Commission are required to declare other jobs.

(91511)

9   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many PSA targets the Audit Commission has.

(91510)

10
N   Ms Meg Munn (Sheffield, Heeley): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what assistance he is giving to post offices in low income areas of cities.

(90941)

11   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what percentage of bills to his Department since May 2002 were paid (a) in accordance with agreed contractual conditions and (b) within 30 days of receiving goods and services or the presentation of a valid invoice where no contractual conditions applied.

(91611)

12   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, when he expects to publish his Office's annual report for 2002-03.

(91619)

13   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many bills his Department and its predecessors have sponsored in each of the past five years; and how many have received Royal Assent.

(91628)

14   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many credit cards have been issued for official use by the Department since May 2002; how many departmental credit cards are in use; what has been the itemised cost for each credit card; and how many departmental credit cards are in use that were issued prior to May 2002.

(91629)

15   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list (a) the non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies affiliated to his Department, broken down by region, indicating in each case the (i) overall budget and (ii) estimated running costs in each year from 1996-97 to 2002-03.

(91634)

16   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which of the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether in each case this is a statutory requirement.

(91625)

17   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the costs have been in (a) salary, (b) administrative support and (c) travel of the (i) Deputy Prime Minister, (ii) Minister of State for Housing, (iii) Minister of State for Local Government, (iv) Minister of State for Social Exclusion, (v) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Planning and (vi) Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Local Government, since May 2002.

(91622)

18   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what steps his Office is taking to promote (a) the decontamination of contaminated land and (b) its development in preference to development of green field sites; and if he will make a statement.

(91623)

19   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what meetings (a) he, (b) other Ministers and (c) officials of his Department have held with (i) Sir Jeremy Beecham, (ii) other Local Government Association Executive members and (iii) representatives of the Fire Authority employers since 1st December 2002; on what dates the meetings were held; and what was discussed in each case.

(91632)

20   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which of the executive non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department have a statutory base; which of those bodies (a) admit members of the public to all board and committee meetings and (b) hold open meetings for the public; and whether in each case this is a statutory requirement.

(91627)

21   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which of his Department's non-departmental public bodies the Government are required to (a) consult prior to legislative proposals and (b) publish their response to advice from.

(91626)

22   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what (a) non-departmental public bodies and (b) executive agencies affiliated to his Department are responsible for providing advice or services in London, indicating in each case the (i) overall budget and (ii) estimated running costs for each year from 1996-97 to 2002-03.

(91633)

23   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, which of the non-departmental public bodies sponsored by his Department (a) have a statutory base, (b) publish their advice to Government, (c) publish an annual report and (d) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether this is a statutory requirement in each case.

(91624)

24   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what conferences his Department has (a) sponsored and (b) been represented at since May 2002; and what was the cost of each sponsored conference since May 2002.

(91621)

25   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, if he will list the (a) maintenance, (b) running and (c) capital costs associated with each of his official residences in each year since 1997.

(91630)

26   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many questions have been tabled for reply by his Department since May 2002; and on how many occasions the reply given was that (a) providing the information involved disproportionate costs and (b) the information was not available centrally.

(91631)

27   Mr Eric Pickles (Brentwood & Ongar): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the costs have been in (a) salary, (b) administrative support and (c) travel of special advisers employed in his Department since May 2002.

(91620)

28   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make a statement on her policy on the status of the BBC as a public sector, public service broadcaster in relation to the round of GATS negotiations.

(91350)

29   Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether her Department will (a) control and (b) set the level of licence fee for licensed premises; and whether local licensing authorities will be allowed to vary those licence fees.

(91392)

30   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures her Department has taken to introduce a grading scheme for hotels and guesthouses; and what assessment she has made of them since their introduction.

(91380)

31   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to regenerate traditional tourist (a) resorts, (b) amenities and (c) services.

(91375)

32   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will list the organisations and individuals attending the Tourism Summit in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

(91372)

33   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to develop internet systems to deliver worldwide tourist bookings and provide information on attractions and travel options.

(91385)

34   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when in the last 12 months her Department held a careers festival and image campaign to raise the profile and promote the image of careers in the hospitality industry; and how much was spent.

(91383)

35   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to encourage the provision of computerised tourist booking and information services.

(91384)

36   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what targets her Department has set for hotel development in London; and what assessment she has made of performance against them.

(91379)

37   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to develop niche tourism markets, broken down by type; and what assessment she has made of those measures.

(91376)

38   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what measures her Department is taking as a result of the Tourism Summits in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

(91371)

39   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many employers in the hospitality and tourism-related sector have been signed up under her Department's towards the Investors in People standard since 1999.

(91382)

40   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to integrate the promotion of British cultural heritage and countryside attractions.

(91377)

41   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what recent measures her Department has taken to support regional tourism; and what assessment she has made of those measures.

(91374)

42   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on developing its overseas visitors promotion programme in each year since 1997-98.

(91387)

43   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she has taken to publish a blueprint for the sustainable development of tourism.

(91389)

44   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what financial assessment she has made of her Department's overseas visitors promotion programme in each year since 1997-98.

(91386)

45   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what initiatives her Department has developed to widen access to tourism for people who do not take a long holiday.

(91388)

46   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department has taken to establish a strategic national body for the English tourism industry.

(91381)

47   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much has been spent by her Department on marketing London tourism in the last 12 months.

(91378)

48   Nick Harvey (North Devon): To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, when her Department held Tourism Summits in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002.

(91373)

49   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much has been spent by the UK in enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq in each year since its introduction.

(91530)

50
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what percentage of UK veterans from conflicts since and including World War II have claimed war pensions (a) three years, (b) five years, (c) 10 years and (d) more than 20 years after they would have been entitled to start receiving the benefit since 1972.

(91049)

51   Jim Dowd (Lewisham West): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many incidents involving members of the public being attacked by horses used by HM Lifeguards in Whitehall have occurred in each of the last five years; in how many cases this has resulted in claims against his Department; and what has been the result in each case.

(91562)

52   Mr Huw Edwards (Monmouth): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the SA80; and if he will make a statement.

(91413)

53
N   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what elements of the armed forces have been withdrawn from Operation FRESCO for other duties; what units will replace them in each case; what areas of the country each will cover in the event of a firefighters' strike; and how long each unit has been training for fire fighting duties.

(91029)

54   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) estimated gross expenditure, (b) authorised appropriations in aid, (c) supply grant, (d) gross expenditure, (e) appropriations in aid applied, (f) net expenditure, (g) amount to be surrendered to the consolidated fund and (h) extra receipts payable to the consolidated fund were in 2001-02, in cash terms, broken down by Vote.

(91462)

55   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the (a) grant and (b) expenditure for the Ministry of Defence were in cash terms, broken down by top level budget holder, in 2001-02.

(91461)

56
N   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what proportion of Army Recruiting Group's budget has been spent for the current financial year; how many army recruits will pass through Army Training Regiments in the period 1st January to 31st March; and when he expects the Army to achieve full manning.

(91093)

57   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he will publish the Appropriation Accounts for 2001-02.

(91460)

58   Alan Simpson (Nottingham South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many staff have been suspended pending fraud investigation in his Department in each of the last five years.

(91527)

59   Alan Simpson (Nottingham South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many people have been found guilty of fraud offences in his Department in each of the last five years.

(91528)

60
N   Tom Brake (Carshalton & Wallington): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what recent representations he has received from childcare organisations regarding the provision of childcare to lone parents.

(91061)

61
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many Union Learning representatives there are within his Department; and if he will make a statement.

(88831)

62
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the Government's budget is for the promotion of Union Learning representatives in the (a) public and (b) private sectors; and if he will make a statement.

(88832)

63
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, whether Union Learning representatives will be made available in job centres; and if he will make a statement.

(88833)

64   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, who the members of the National Skills Taskforce have been since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if he will make a statement.

(91658)

65
N   Jim Dowd (Lewisham West): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the progress of the tender for electronic registration systems in secondary schools.

(91149)

66
N   Julia Drown (South Swindon): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what steps he is taking to improve access to child care for working parents.

(91056)

67   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what advice she offers to farmers in respect of the disposal of farm plastics.

(91533)

68   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received concerning the impact of the 2003 packaging recycling targets on the market for PRNs.

(91490)

69   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) informal consultations or discussions her Department held and (b) representations from the reprocessing industry she received before taking the decision not to increase the UK's packaging waste recovery and recycling targets in 2003.

(91489)

70   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what preliminary assessment she has made of the likely packaging waste recycling targets required for 2004 to enable the UK to comply with the most likely minimum targets expected to be set.

(91496)

71   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what forecasts have been made of the likely price of PRNs following the announcement of the UK's 2003 packaging waste recycling targets.

(91492)

72   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to announce the UK packaging waste recovery targets (a) for 2004 and (b) for 2005.

(91495)

73   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she intends to consult on the UK's 2004 packaging waste recycling targets.

(91494)

74   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations her Department has made to the Department of Trade and Industry regarding the UK's submissions to the EU discussions and decision-making process on the packaging waste recycling targets under the new Packaging Waste Directive.

(91497)

75   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what representations she has received from the reprocessing industry on the effect on the recycling market in 2003 of the decision not to increase the UK's 2003 packaging waste recycling targets.

(91491)

76   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the Department did not carry out a formal public consultation on the 2003 packaging waste recovery and recycling targets.

(91488)

77   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the likely effect on the overall level of recycling taking place in the UK in 2003 of the decision not to increase the UK's 2003 packaging waste recycling targets.

(91493)

78   Mrs Anne Campbell (Cambridge): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what action the Government is taking to ensure that the Environment Agency website can cope with the volume of traffic in emergencies.

(91394)

79
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many working days have been lost in her Department and its predecessors due to industrial action in (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99, (c) 1999-2000, (d) 2000-01, (e) 2001-02 and (f) 2002-03.

(90245)

80
N   Andrew George (St Ives): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the correlation between the immunocapillary electrophoresis test and other pre-clinical tests; and if she will make a statement.

(90286)

81   Mr Robert Key (Salisbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when she will meet the manufacturers of chewing gum to discuss the impact of their product on the environment; and if she will explore the potential for biodegradable chewing gum.

(91348)

82   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many flood defence committees there are in England.

(91509)

83   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the total budget for the Environment Agency (a) was in 2001-02 and (b) is in 2002-03.

(91508)

84
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who will carry out the assessments of civil servants under her Department's leadership review.

(91052)

85
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many officials, at which grades, will be subject to her Department's leadership review.

(91053)

86
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what sums she has allocated in the current financial year and in each of the next three years for (a) the costing and training and (b) early retirements expected to arise from her Department's leadership review.

(91050)

87
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the (a) terms of reference, (b) purpose and (c) timescale are of her Department's leadership review.

(91054)

88
N   Mr David Lidington (Aylesbury): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what criteria she will use to assess the performance of civil servants subject to her Department's leadership review.

(91051)

89   Mr Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the effects on the environment of the level of teleworking (a) now and (b) over the next five years.

(91541)

90   Mr Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the impact of teleworking on rural communities.

(91540)

91
N   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many UK fishing licences have been purchased by foreign owners operating from within the EU in each year since 1997.

(90646)

92
N   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the proportion of boats over 10 metres in length in the UK offshore fishing fleet whose fishing licence is held by a non-UK resident EU national.

(90649)

93
N   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to review the operation of UK fishing licences.

(90645)

94
N   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent reports she has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the purchase of UK fishing licences by foreign owners operating from EU member states.

(90647)

95
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will make a statement on her policy on the continuation of the application of the immunocapillary electrophoresis test.

(90287)

96   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the use of hypothecation to improve environmental performance.

(91535)

97   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses were received to the Treasury consultation on the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme which (a) supported and (b) opposed the proposal to end the waste management and recycling scheme from April 2003.

(91485)

98   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he made of the likely impact on the match funding available which would be lost before taking the decision to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003.

(91486)

99   Mr Adrian Flook (Taunton): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses were sent the pamphlets, Do you trade with business or individuals from the euro area?" and Do you know whether the euro's introduction in the euro area could affect your cashflow and profits"; how many have responded to date; and what the cost was of this exercise.

(91618)

100
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what taxation benefits would be available to same-sex couples living together as a couple, and what would the cost of those changes be, if such same-sex couples were treated in the same way as normal couples.

(89699)

101   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were widowed in each month in (i) 2001 and (ii) 2002.

(91616)

102   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to enable new providers to take over the payment of conventional annuities.

(91557)

103   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to enable with-profits annuitants to transfer to other annuity providers.

(91555)

104   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to bring rules governing investment-linked annuities into line with those already in operation for pensioners in income drawdown.

(91556)

105   Ann McKechin (Glasgow, Maryhill): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system in England and Wales; and for what reasons the application was successful.

(91459)

106   Ann McKechin (Glasgow, Maryhill): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's assessment of the application by Citizens Advice Scotland to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system; and for what reasons the application was declined.

(91458)

107   Mr Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) employees and (b) self-employed persons are teleworkers.

(91600)

108   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) full and (b) aspect business enquiries were taken up and settled by the Inland Revenue in each of the last two financial years; and if he will make a statement.

(91390)

109   Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to advance co-operation between the UK and Italy on combating organised crime.

(91538)

110   Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on the recommendation of Working Group VII of the European Convention for an EU diplomatic service working under the authority of the proposed European External Representative; and if he will make a statement.

(91545)

111   Mr John Lyons (Strathkelvin & Bearsden): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reason the report from Iraq on weapons of mass destruction was not presented in its entirety to the UN.

(91514)

112
N   Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what further steps the Russian Federation has agreed to take to advance the implementation of the Global Partners Agreement, known as ten plus ten plus ten; what further action it is required to take; and if he will make a statement.

(91205)

113   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to normalise relations with North Korea since establishing diplomatic relations with it.

(91565)

114   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has initiated with his counterparts in the UN Security Council concerning the withdrawal of North Korea from the Non-Proliferation Treaty; and if he will make a statement.

(91564)

115   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions the UK has exercised its veto in the UN Security Council in each year since 1990; and on what issues.

(91605)

116   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether North Korea possesses nuclear weapons; and if he will make a statement.

(91566)

117
N   Joan Ruddock (Lewisham, Deptford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if the UN weapons inspectors have visited (a) the Castor Oil Production plant at Fallujah in Iraq, (b) the al-Dawrah Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Institute and (c) the Amariyah Sera and Vaccine Plant at Abu Ghraib in the pursuit of their duties under UN Resolution 1441.

(91343)

118
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what evidence he has collated on the effect that changing the name of hospital accident and emergency departments will have on the frequency that they are used; and if he will publish it.

(91209)

119
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the Dott plan to rename accident and emergency departments in hospitals; and to what he proposes to change their name.

(91206)

120
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost of renaming hospital accident and emergency departments.

(91208)

121
N   Mr Simon Burns (West Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many people in the Mid-Essex Hospital Trust area were waiting for inpatient treatment on the latest available date.

(91207)

122   Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will make a statement on the availability through the NHS of drugs to combat Alzheimer's disease.

(91415)

123
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many drug rehabilitation places are available to registered drug addicts in the (a) Twickenham Constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London; how many registered drug addicts in the (i) Twickenham constituency, (ii) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (iii) London are receiving (A) rehabilitation and (B) other forms of drug treatment; and if he will make a statement.

(88829)

124
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many registered drug addicts there were in the (a) Twickenham constituency, (b) London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and (c) London in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement.

(88830)

125   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many units operating a newborn screening unit for deafness at birth (a) there are now and (b) are planned to open in 2003; where they are located; and if he will make a statement.

(91667)

126   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new cases of type 2 diabetes have been diagnosed in each of the last five years in (a) males under 30, (b) males 30 and over, (c) females under 30 and (d) females 30 and over; and if he will make a statement.

(91648)

127   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance he has issued to primary care trusts on their freedom to use private contractors as suppliers in the provision of health services.

(91353)

128   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 285W, on primary care services, what impact he expects this policy to have on the number of acute hospitals in England and Wales.

(91591)

129   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library (a) the discussion paper that the Medicines Control Agency used to provide the framework from which risk management options have been considered regarding kava-kava, (b) the information used to assess the economic impact of the various regulatory options considered by the Medicines Control Agency regarding kava-kava and (c) the Medicines Control Agency risk analysis for kava-kava on the viability risk management options other than banning kava-kava.

(91471)

130   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the annual (a) total and (b) percentage increases in the number of NHS doctors have been in each year since 1992.

(91593)

131   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the specification for the NHS hotmail system being developed by EDS.

(91590)

132   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what work Strategic Health Authorities are undertaking to assess healthcare acquired infection data from local trusts; and if he will make a statement.

(91466)

133   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what allocation of strategic capital Surrey NHS trusts have received in the current financial year.

(91467)

134   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what health risks have led to the decision to ban kava-kava; and how many incidences of health-related problems arising from such risks there have been in each of the past 10 years.

(91484)

135   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the total amount of surgical equipment disposed of each year; and what steps are being taken to recycle this equipment.

(91465)

136   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish key indicators about NHS performance and staffing in 2003.

(91478)

137   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the hospital amalgamations that have taken place in the last five years; and what the total number of acute beds available in those hospitals was (a) before and (b) after the amalgamation.

(91588)

138   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how average waiting times for (a) consultation with a consultant and (b) elective surgery have changed in the past six years.

(91468)

139   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received from within the NHS in London about the impact of the congestion charge.

(91477)

140   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the level of occupancy of (a) general and (b) acute beds in the NHS is.

(91596)

141   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many deaths in the past 10 years in the UK have been attributed to consumption of Kava-kava.

(91482)

142   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library data used by the Medicines Control Agency in considering the safety of kava-kava that relates to potential enzyme induction caused by (a) kava-kava and (b) registered medicines in association with kava-kava in adverse reaction case reports.

(91472)

143   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many medical products containing kava-kava are licensed.

(91481)

144   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how the Medicines Control Agency determines what is an acceptable level of risk for the voluntary consumption of a medical product.

(91470)

145   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the strategic reviews into the provision of acute hospital services that are taking place in the NHS in England; and when those reviews are due for completion.

(91479)

146   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7th January, Official Report, column 181W, what proportion of trusts make no use of leading chef dishes.

(91589)

147   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the hospitals that have been on red alert on each day since 1 November 2002 in England and Wales.

(91469)

148   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the Medicines Control Agency's (a) risk benefit analysis in relation to kava-kava, (b) supporting documents and (c) expert advice.

(91474)

149   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library the Medicines Control Agency's (a) analysis of consumers' reasons for using kava, and potential hazards created by regulating kava off the market and (b) assessment of consumers accessing kava product of unknown quality via the Internet and other direct marketing strategies.

(91475)

150   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much of the additional funding announced in January 2001 for infection control has been spent.

(91464)

151   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will place in the Library correspondence and submissions (a) sent to and (b) received by the Medicines Control Agency regarding the regulating of kava-kava.

(91473)

152   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of patients suffering cardiac arrests were resuscitated by ambulance staff, in each ambulance trust area in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

(91587)

153   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent discussions he has had with other countries about safety issues related to kava-kava; and how many have also banned products containing kava-kava.

(91483)

154   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research his Department has conducted into the reasons for different categories of acute hospital staff choosing to leave their professions.

(91476)

155   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the likely cost impact on prescribing conventional medicines following the changes to the range of traditional herbal medicines available in the UK.

(91586)

156   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, Official Report, columns 272-30, if he will make a statement on his reference to thinking about how to reorganise services safely and effectively has moved on; what his policy is on the ideal population size to be served by an acute hospital; when the consultation exercise for the new project will be published; and what impact he expects that consultation to have on future plans for the NHS.

(91595)

157   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many new hospitals or hospital reprovision projects have been commenced since 1997; and what proportion of these have been financed through (a) PFI and (b) PPP schemes.

(91594)

158   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many cancelled operations there were at each NHS hospital in each of the past four quarters.

(91480)

159   Chris Grayling (Epsom & Ewell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 8th January, Official Report, column 277W, on the drugs budget, what the budgets were for this provision.

(91592)

160   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to ensure that there are no consequences for the level of service provided by Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth and Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust should medical staff working there be required to join troops in the Middle East or be required to serve in war with Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

(91395)

161   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what percentage of people in (a) England, (b) each NHS region, (c) each strategic health authority and (d) each primary care trust were registered with an NHS dentist as at 30th September 2002.

(91368)

162
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether an employee of a foundation trust who is a registered member of the trust will be able to retain membership rights after leaving the trust's employment.

(91109)

163
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how frequently an NHS foundation trust will be required to review its constitution.

(91106)

164
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on the possibility of all employees of a foundation trust being given automatic membership of the trust; and for what reasons he has decided that employees must register for membership.

(91108)

165
N   Helen Jones (Warrington North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how representatives from the employee membership will be elected to the board of governors of a foundation trust; whether there will be provision for different grades of staff to be represented; and what role staff trade unions will play in the process.

(91107)

166   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many tasks he has set for each hospital in Somerset; and when they are due to be completed.

(91507)

167   Helen Southworth (Warrington South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what recent evaluation his Department has made of the incidence of carbon monoxide poisoning syndrome.

(91606)

168   Helen Southworth (Warrington South): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what action his Department is taking to ensure effective (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) rehabilitation for people suffering chronic effects of carbon monoxide poisoning syndrome.

(91610)

169   Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when the document on reconfiguration of hospitals will be published; and whether it includes an assessment of the place of foundation hospitals in the re-organisation of hospital services.

(91503)

170   Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the reasons are for the delay in publishing the proposals for the new GP contract; and what steps have been taken to prevent further delay.

(91506)

171   Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that expenditure on elective surgery on NHS patients in the private sector is minimised, and the use of NHS services is optimised.

(91502)

172   Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what costs have been incurred by the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust since September 2000 as a consequence of suspension of consultants.

(91505)

173   Dr Richard Taylor (Wyre Forest): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the cost was to the Worcestershire Acute Hospital, NHS Trust of their preparations for the recent inspection by the Commission for Health Improvement.

(91504)

174   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what budget has been allocated for the education campaign due to be launched this spring on drug misuse; what assessment will take place of the effectiveness of the campaign; who will carry out the assessment; when the results will be published; and if he will make a statement.

(91673)

175   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what percentage of the departmental budget allocated in this financial year for tackling drug crime will be spent on (a) staff and (b) associated staff costs; and if he will make a statement.

(91672)

176   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police stations manned (a) 24 hours a day and (b) part-time have (i) opened and (ii) closed in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(91674)

177
N   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of funding will come from (a) the precept, (b) government revenue settlement, (c) other government grants and (d) other income for each police authority in England and Wales in the financial year 2003-04.

(91101)

178
N   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's recommended projection is for the precept for each police authority in 2003-04.

(91103)

179
N   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the standard police grant sought by each police authority in England and Wales was in each year since 1996-97; and what the final settlement was for each authority.

(91104)

180
N   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Police Authority precept was for each authority in England and Wales in each financial year since 1996-97.

(91105)

181
N   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the (a) overspend and (b) underspend was for each police authority in England and Wales in each year since 1996-97.

(91102)

182   Mr John Cummings (Easington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been made in the Easington Constituency; and if he will make a statement.

(91608)

183   Mr John Cummings (Easington): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prosecutions there were for drug-related offences in the Peterlee Sub Division of the Durham Police in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(91609)

184   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will send to Mr Alan Bolton, ex-Superintendent of the Gwent Police, the final report of Assistant Chief Constable Drane on alleged breaches of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 which was presented to the Gwent Police Authority on the 11th July 2002.

(91537)

185   Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the report of the inquiry into the conduct of ex-Acting Chief Constable Richard Thomas of Gwent Police will be published.

(91543)

186
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many investigations have been commenced into suspected fraud concerning Asylum Support, and what the outcomes have been; and if he will make a statement about the arrangements in place to prevent Asylum Support fraud.

(91210)

187
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 8th January, ref 88475, how many fraud investigators are employed by or contracted to the National Asylum Support Service; and what arrangements are in place for advice and assistance from the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service to NASS.

(91212)

188
N   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what arrangements are in place for referrals from the Benefit Fraud Hotline and the Targeting Fraud Website to be made to NASS fraud investigators in respect of cases of suspected Asylum Support fraud; and how many reports of suspected fraud have so far been received by NASS.

(91211)

189   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to control the increase in the use of guns; and if he will make a statement.

(91561)

190   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many converted air weapons were seized by police forces in England in each year since 1997; and how many different seizures there were.

(91558)

191   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation in controlling the illegal use of firearms.

(91560)

192   Mr Andrew Hunter (Basingstoke): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal firearms were (a) found and (b) seized by police forces in England in each year since 1997; and how many (i) findings and (ii) seizures there were.

(91559)

193   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the target time is for the police to respond to 999 calls in (a) Essex Constabulary, (b) Tendring division, (c) Colchester division and (d) England; and if he will list the most recent performance in each case.

(91463)

194   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Public Service Agreement targets the Home Office has.

(91512)

195
N   Mr Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when his Department intends to reply to the letters from the honourable Member for Manchester Central dated (a) 28th August 2002, regarding Mr KK, reference 17982/2, (b) 11th September 2002, regarding Mr YMY, reference 18812/2, (c) 20th September 2002, regarding Ms NM, reference 19649/2, (d) 7th October 2002, regarding Mr MA, reference 21454/2, (e) 9th October 2002, regarding Mr NAM, reference 20892/2, (f) 9th October 2002, regarding Mr AH, reference 21152/2, (g) 11th October 2002, regarding Miss GM, reference 21144/2, (h) 15th October 2002, regarding Mr MM, reference 21484/2, (i) 16th October 2002, regarding Mr FM, reference 21379/2, (j) 16th October 2002, regarding Mr IK, reference 21489/2, (k) 24th October 2002, regarding Mr RBZ, reference 23242/2 and (l) 28th October 2002, regarding Mr SARR, reference 23136/2.

(91055)

196
N   Mr Humfrey Malins (Woking): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what his policy is in relation to the return of penalties paid by road hauliers for carrying illegal immigrants; what his policy is concerning unpaid penalties; and if he will make a statement.

(91110)

197   Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will list those prison establishments in which there have been changes at governor level, including changes involving those acting as governor for one month or more, in the last five years; when each such change took place; and who (a) the governor leaving and (b) the replacement was in each case.

(91370)

198   Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many first time convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in the last three years, broken down by police authority.

(91568)

199   Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many custodial sentences were given for drink-driving offences in the last three years, broken down by police authority.

(91567)

200   Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many drink-driving convictions in England and Wales there have been in the last three years, broken down by police authority.

(91569)

201   Claire Ward (Watford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he will publish the annual prison statistics.

(91414)

202   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions NASS has had with the owners of the Coniston Hotel about its plans for a refugee and asylum reception centre.

(91359)

203   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what (a) private and (b) public consultation took place between the National Asylum Seekers Support Service and constituents of Sittingbourne and Sheppey with respect to the decision to open a refugee and asylum reception centre at the Coniston Hotel in Sittingbourne; and if he will make a statement.

(91357)

204   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what undertakings the Home Office gave to Kent County Council with respect to agreeing not to open further refugee and asylum reception centres.

(91360)

205   Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what due diligence was carried out on the company Accommadata, which is to operate the refugee and asylum reception centre at the Coniston Hotel; when NASS signed a contract with them; who owns Accommadata; under what jurisdiction they are based; and if he will make a statement.

(91358)

206   Mrs Helen Clark (Peterborough): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when her Department's study of the linkages between wildlife and poverty will be available (a) to the Department and (b) for wider consultation.

(91416)

207   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department has taken to assist developing countries to carry out impact assessments on the effects of trade liberalisation agreements, broken down by country.

(91354)

208   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries taking part in the HIPC Initiative have reached completion point within the timescale established at their decision point.

(91452)

209   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent proposals her Department has made to (a) the World Bank and (b) the IMF to reform the HIPC Initiative.

(91453)

210   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she last met representatives of opposition parties in Zimbabwe.

(91447)

211   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, which countries her Department estimates will have unsustainable debt burdens after their completing the HIPC Initiative.

(91451)

212   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what her Department's latest assessment is of the number of refugees that have returned to Afghanistan.

(91450)

213   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the recent floods in (a) Malawi and (b) Mozambique.

(91456)

214   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether the World Bank continues to fund government programmes in Zimbabwe.

(91449)

215   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions her Department has had with the governments of (a) Chad and (b) Cameroon on World Bank funds for the Chad-Cameroon pipeline; and if she will make a statement on the social and environmental objectives of the pipeline.

(91454)

216   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to tackle corruption in (a) Chad and (b) Cameroon.

(91455)

217   Mrs Caroline Spelman (Meriden): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, when she last met representatives of the Government of South Africa to discuss the political situation in Zimbabwe.

(91448)

218   Mr John Taylor (Solihull): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if the Lord Chancellor will make it his policy (a) to introduce rules relating to the conduct and competence of judges in the small claims court and (b) to introduce independent assessors (i) to monitor the observance of such rules and (ii) to permit assessment to inform future appointment by way of promotion or otherwise.

(91393)

219   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, whether it is his policy to re-introduce British Transport Police in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

(91668)

220   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will ensure that all information and documentation relating to staff and security staff who worked at the former Anglo-Irish secretariat at Maryfield in Belfast is removed from site prior to its closure.

(91391)

221   Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many planning applications have been submitted to the Planning Appeals Commission for non-determination in each of the last three years.

(91367)

222   Mr Peter Robinson (Belfast East): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many planning applications submitted to the Department have not been determined after (a) 3, (b) 6, (c) 9 and (d) 12 months; and for those over 12 months, how long it is since they were first submitted.

(91366)

223   The Reverend Martin Smyth (Belfast South): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, when he expects the office of Law Reform in the Department of Finance and Personnel to have completed its analysis of the responses to the public consultation on Physical Punishment in the Home—Thinking about the Issues, Looking at the Evidence.

(91351)

224   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Prime Minister, what discussions and correspondence (a) he and (b) his Office has had with representatives of the Carlyle Group since 1st May 1997.

(91529)

225
N   Malcolm Bruce (Gordon): To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to her Answer of 19th December 2002, to the honourable Member for Beckenham, Official Report, column 915W, what the Scotland Office's (a) current staffing level and (b) full staffing level is; and when she expects her Department to reach its optimum staffing level.

(91028)

226   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the estimated cost is of providing (a) banking; and (b) insurance facilities to Huntingdon life sciences.

(91536)

227
N   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list (a) the target publication dates that ministers have employed for the Energy White Paper and (b) when each target was first used.

(91137)

228
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the (a) purchase cost, (b) installation cost and (c) annual operating costs since its installation were of the ELGAR IT system; and if she will make a statement.

(88834)

229
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many medical advisors are employed in her Department; where they are located; and if she will make a statement.

(88835)

230
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the Regulatory Impact Assessments produced by her Department since 1st May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

(88836)

231
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the United Kingdom's position is in the EU league table of stock of foreign direct investment; and if she will make a statement.

(88880)

232   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Aerospace Committee since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91660)

233   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many Business Link Personal Business Advisors there were in each year since 1999; and if she will make a statement.

(91650)

234   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Advisory Committee on Business and the Environment since its inception; what expenses or salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91665)

235   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Council for Excellence in Management and Leadership since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91663)

236   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the objectives of the UK Space Strategy 1999 to 2002 were met; and if she will make a statement.

(91656)

237   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many industrial secondees there were in the department's Innovation Unit in each year since 1998; and if she will make a statement.

(91653)

238   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Business Environment Simplification Taskforce since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91662)

239   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Cleaner Vehicles Taskforce since its inception; what expenses or salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91661)

240   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' Industry Forum since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91659)

241   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Consultative Group since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91664)

242   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, who have been members of the Ethnic Minority Business Advisory Forum since its inception; what (a) expenses and (b) salary each received; and if she will make a statement.

(91666)

243   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, at what conferences and seminars in each year since 2000 (a) the Small Business Service and (b) Business Links were represented; what costs were incurred in each case; and if she will make a statement.

(91657)

244   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the British National Space Centre's Best Practice in the Space Industry club is self financing; how many United Kingdom companies are committed to the club; and if she will make a statement.

(91655)

245   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many Business Link partnerships there are; how many have closed in each year since 1999; and if she will make a statement.

(91649)

246   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many commitments made by her Department in the 1998 Competitiveness White Paper have been met; and if she will make a statement.

(91652)

247   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what independent audits have taken place of Westport Private Equity Limited; whether these audits are available to Members; and if she will make a statement.

(91651)

248   Mr Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many grants for job creation her Department awarded in (a) Blyth Valley and (b) South East Northumberland in 2002; and what the value was in each case.

(91570)

249   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what progress has been made in the GATS negotiations with ensuring that impact assessments are made on the liberalisation of trade.

(91352)

250   Mr Colin Challen (Morley & Rothwell): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the estimated impact of GATS on (a) the UK economy and (b) developing countries.

(91355)

251   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what capacity TRANSCO (a) is required by regulation to maintain and (b) has to purge and relight domestic premises affected by a major gas supply failure.

(91411)

252   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when the Approved Competency Standard ceased to be the qualification required by Transco for its engineers engaged in safety work in domestic premises.

(91406)

253   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, on what basis the HSE issued an exemption notice to Transco from the requirement to reassess its engineers qualifications to the Approved Competency Standard.

(91404)

254   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, when Transco refused to comply with the HSE and statutory regulation to reassess its engineers, engaged in safety work in domestic premises, to the Approved Competency Standard qualification.

(91405)

255   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what contracts are in place between TRANSCO and other companies to supply suitably qualified engineers to purge and relight domestic premises affected by a major gas supply failure.

(91412)

256   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what punitive action was provided for prior to March 2002 by (a) statute and (b) regulation against Transco for failure to fulfill its statutory obligations to reassess its engineers' qualification to the Approved Competency Standard and to provide an emergency service to domestic premises.

(91403)

257   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what advice CORGI gave to (a) the HSE and (b) Ministers in March 2002 on the introduction of a new NVQ industry qualification for gas engineers.

(91401)

258   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what tests her Department has conducted to establish the capacity of Transco to respond to a major gas supply failure without requiring the closure of power stations.

(91410)

259   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many British Gas employees were qualified to purge and relight domestic premises affected by a major gas supply failure in 1994.

(91408)

260   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many Transco employees are qualified to purge and relight domestic premises affected by a major gas supply failure.

(91409)

261   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, for what reasons an enforcement notice was not served upon Transco by (a) the HSE, (b) Ofgem and (c) the Secretary of State when Transco refused to fulfill its statutory obligation to reassess its engineers qualification to the Approved Competency Standard.

(91402)

262   Mr Barry Gardiner (Brent North): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what percentage of work under The Safety Case is performed by non-Transco employees; and who bears statutory responsibility for the quality of that work.

(91407)

263   Mr David Heathcoat-Amory (Wells): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her policy is on the recommendation of Working Group VII of the European Convention that areas of commerical policy should be decided by Qualified Majority Vote.

(91544)

264   Norman Lamb (North Norfolk): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many grants have been awarded for PV solar power panels in each of the last three years; and what the total value of such grants is.

(91563)

265   Ann McKechin (Glasgow, Maryhill): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the representations her Department made regarding the refusal of the application by Citizens Advice Scotland to the Treasury's Capital Modernisation Fund in 2001 for funding of an electronic case recording system.

(91457)

266
N   Andrew Mackinlay (Thurrock): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will refer to the Competition Commission a bid to take over Belfast City Airport.

(91342)

267   Helen Southworth (Warrington South): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will support the right of poor country governments to provide targeted support and protection for their local producers.

(91607)

268   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what discussions he has held with (a) train operating companies and (b) London Transport on the introduction of a combined young persons discount card; and if he will make a statement.

(91675)

269
N   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when he last met members of the Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the provision of cycle storage on trains; what the outcome was of these discussions; and if he will make a statement.

(88942)

270   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many British Transport Police there were in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

(91670)

271   Mr Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the effects of teleworking on (a) current and (b) future transport needs.

(91542)

272   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much subsidy has been paid to (a) rail freight operations and (b) passenger train operating companies in each year since 1997.

(91532)

273   Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how much was paid in freight facilities grant in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

(91547)

274   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what discussions he has had with the Thames Estuary Airport Company regarding their proposals for a new airport.

(91356)

275   Bob Spink (Castle Point): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, whether (a) he and (b) his Departmental officials have had discussions regarding a proposal for a new airport situated in the Thames Estuary on a site north-east of the Isle of Sheppey.

(91349)

276   Mr Desmond Swayne (New Forest West): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, if he will make a statement about the effectiveness of measures to ensure that foreign commercial vehicles driving on British roads are properly insured.

(91539)

277
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, under what circumstances someone will be judged to be unable to manage an account under the new Direct Credit scheme for state pension payments; how long the assessment process will take to judge someone unable to manage an account under the Direct Credit scheme; what measures are in place to ensure the continuation of payments whilst an assessment of a person's ability to manage an account is carried out; and whether a recipient of the state pension will be subject to reassessment on the matter of ability to manage an account.

(90650)

278   Mr Frank Field (Birkenhead): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 18th December, Official Report, column 859, whether the data on the number of pension schemes that have completed winding-up and the members of those schemes in the financial years 2000-01 and 2001-02 is likely to be revised.

(91585)

279
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate has be made of the number of same-sex couples in long-term relationships living together who are currently treated as separate households for the purpose of state pension and other benefits.

(89697)

280
N   Dr Evan Harris (Oxford West & Abingdon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for which benefits heterosexual unmarried couples living together as husband and wife are treated as a couple when same-sex couples are treated as individuals; and for each of these benefits what estimate he has made (a) of the cost of treating same-sex couples as individuals and (b) the savings made by not treating such heterosexual couples as individuals.

(89698)

281   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many participants left the New Deal programmes in each year since their establishment; and of those, what proportion obtained sustained jobs.

(91613)

282   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his oral Answer to the honourable Member for Plymouth Sutton, of 13th January, Official Report, column 393, on the economically inactive, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans for the future of the employment zone model.

(91615)

283   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the sustained job entry rate of the New Deal.

(91617)

284   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he plans to adopt the definition of New Deal achievement proposed by the Select Committee on Work and Pensions at paragraph 55 of its Third Report of 2001-02; and if he will make a statement.

(91614)

285   Mr Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Answer of 13 January, Official Report, column 365W, what the total (a) annual and (b) monthly expenditure by his Department and its predecessor on (i) bereavement allowance, (ii) bereavement payments and (iii) widowed parent's allowance has been since the introduction of bereavement benefit in April 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(91612)

286
N   Mr David Rendel (Newbury): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the number of men in their sixties who have been denied the winter fuel allowance because of missing the deadline for claims, in each year for which figures are available.

(90855)

287
N   Mr David Stewart (Inverness East, Nairn & Lochaber): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he expects the computerisation of the Child Support Agency to be completed.

(90648)

288   Mr Paul Stinchcombe (Wellingborough): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners have immediate access to benefits and services provided by the Department on the point of release.

(91369)

289   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of reducing the eligible rent of all housing benefit claimants by £10 per week and introducing a £10 per week housing credit for all recipients of the working tax credit who are either renters or homebuyers with a mortgage.

(91548)

290
N   Steve Webb (Northavon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps were taken to publicise the abolition of the married women's half-test under the Social Security Act 1975.

(91305)

291   Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his written statement of 19th December 2002, Official Report, column 65WS, on open government, if he will provide a breakdown of the figures given on each department by year from 1992.

(91531)

292
N   Julie Morgan (Cardiff North): To ask the Minister for Women, what plans she has to reduce the pay gap between women and men.

[Question Unstarred] (91059)

293
N   Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Cabinet Office, if he will make a statement on the impact of the congestion charge on (a) the Government Car Service and (b) ministers on official business.

[Transferred] (91100)

294
N   Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Cabinet Office, how many cars in the Government Car Service pool will pay the full London congestion charge; and how many will be eligible for a reduction.

[Transferred] (91098)

295
N   Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Cabinet Office, how many and what proportion of the Government Car Service drivers are (a) women and (b) from a racial minority; and what were the equivalent figures in (a) 1997 and (b) 2000.

[Transferred] (91096)

296
N   Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Cabinet Office, if he will list the cars in the Government Car Service Pool broken down by (a) make, (b) model, (c) registration number and (d) where they are registered.

[Transferred] (91097)

297   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what decisions he has taken regarding the making of regulations to provide for access to taxis by disabled people.

[Transferred] (91546)

298   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April.

[Transferred] (91498)

299   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he received from industry relating to the likely impact on the ability to source match funding for recycling projects of the changes to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme from April.

[Transferred] (91500)

300   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme on the match funding available (a) from the European Social Fund and (b) from other public funds.

[Transferred] (91499)

301   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many projects are likely to be affected by the ending of the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme in April 2003; which projects they are; and what representations he has received from the waste management industry about the proposal to end the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme.

[Transferred] (91487)

302   Gregory Barker (Bexhill & Battle): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount is of (a) European and (b) other match funding which will be lost when the waste management and recycling element of the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme ends in April.

[Transferred] (91501)

303   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many permanently equipped vessels are available in the United Kingdom to tackle (a) oil, (b) chemical and (c) diesel spillages at sea; and where they are stationed.

[Transferred] (91597)

304   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many anti-pollution vessels there are to deal with (a) chemical and (b) oil spills within five hours sailing time of Lyme Bay.

[Transferred] (91601)

305   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what specific funding is available to coastal local authorities for counter-pollution measures and clean-up operations for (a) oil, (b) diesel and (c) other spillages at sea.

[Transferred] (91599)

306   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what emergency plans are in place to deal with chemical spillages that may occur off the United Kingdom coast; and what defences are in place to prevent such incidents.

[Transferred] (91603)

307   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, what steps he has taken to train (a) local authority staff and (b) staff of other interested organisations, in the management, containment and clearance of (i) oil, (ii) chemical and (iii) diesel spillages at sea.

[Transferred] (91598)

308   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, when the United Kingdom's coastal waters counter-pollution practices were last reviewed.

[Transferred] (91602)

309   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, how many incidents of (a) chemical, (b) oil and (c) diesel spillage have occurred in United Kingdom waters since 1997.

[Transferred] (91604)

310   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many and what proportion of pensioners in the Twickenham constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (91669)

311   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, whether it is his policy to increase the number of British Transport Police; and if he will make a statement.

[Transferred] (91671)

312   Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (Bridgwater): To ask the Cabinet Office, when the decision was made to move the delivery unit to the Treasury.

[Transferred] (91513)

313   Hywel Williams (Caernarfon): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rates of economic activity were in each of the last three years in (a) the UK and (b) each region, broken down by (i) age and (ii) sex.

[Transferred] (91635)