Order Book Part 1

House of Commons

Session 2002 - 03
Publications on the internet
The Order Book

Part 1: Written Questions for Answer on
Wednesday 26 March 2003

Here you can browse the Written Questions for answer on Wednesday 26 March 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.

WEDNESDAY 26th MARCH

1   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what resources he has allocated to improve civil contingency plans for the Portsmouth area in the event of a terrorist attack in the last two years; and if he will make a statement.

(105354)

2   Tony Baldry (Banbury): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 19th March, Official Report, column 761W, on Iraq, what plans he has to make new funding available to the Department for International Development for humanitarian relief efforts during the conflict.

(105253)

3   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the taxability of employers' contributions to the write-off of student debt in (a) the public sector and (b) the private sector.

(105306)

4   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many errors in the repayment of student loans have been lodged with the Inland Revenue Department by (a) members of the public and (b) honourable Members in each of the last three years.

(105206)

5   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the recent unavailability of the working tax credit helpline; and if he will make a statement.

(105263)

6   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gap between the average earnings of men and women was in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in the last year for which figures are available.

(105194)

7   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total amount of unpaid tax, broken down by major category, in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire and (b) the Yorkshire and the Humber region in each year since 1997.

(105282)

8   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average earnings were, broken down by (a) gender and
(b) 10-year age band for each year since 1997.

(105283)

9   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer when key assumptions were used in the fiscal projections of the 2002 Pre-Budget Report regarding (a) trend GDP growth, (b) equity prices and (c) oil prices last audited by the National Audit Office.

(105331)

10   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were made in forming the expectation of a modest decline in net worth, as set out in paragraph 2.56 of the pre-Budget Report 2002.

(105326)

11   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was conducted to reach his prediction in paragraph 2.26 of the Pre-Budget Report that private investment is expected to increase during 2003.

(105336)

12   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were made concerning (a) the state of the world economy, (b) export demand and (c) levels of foreign investment in the UK in the fiscal projections set out in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report.

(105332)

13   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was commissioned by his Department prior to the publication of the pre-budget report into the level of the FTSE 100 index between March and October 2002.

(105340)

14   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were behind his assessment made in paragraph 2.28 of the Pre-Budget Report that RPIX inflation would fall below the Government's 25 per cent. target.

(105337)

15   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) total Government spending, (b) the change in Government spending and (c) the proportion of total Government spending used for long-term capital investment in each year since 1999.

(105325)

16   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what reasonable assumptions are referred to in paragraph 2.67 of the Pre-Budget Report 2002, on which the judgment that the public finances are sustainable in the longer term was based.

(105329)

17   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions have been used to form the expectation in paragraph 2.44 of the pre-Budget Report 2002 that financial company profits will return to trend in the medium term.

(105321)

18   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what cautious assumptions are referred to in paragraph 2.61 of the pre-Budget Report 2002, on which projections of the cyclically-adjusted treaty deficit are based.

(105327)

19   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was carried out to conclude in the Pre-Budget Report, Cm 5664, that world trade growth will increase by 5.25 per cent. in 2003 and by 8.75 per cent. in 2004.

(105338)

20   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the assumptions are on which the projections (a) concerning output and (b) in Table B3 of the 2002 Pre-Budget Report are based; and what assumptions were made about (i) the state of the world economy and (ii) oil prices in compiling the data in Table B3.

(105330)

21   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the performance of the London stock exchange since January in comparison to other leading stockmarkets.

(105349)

22   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were made concerning when the current economic cycle will end when making the conclusions of paragraph 2.54 of the pre-Budget Report 2002.

(105324)

23   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) anticipated changes in asset prices and (b) other determinants of tax receipts were used in predicting changes in the output gap on the public finances, as referred to in paragraph 2.43 of the pre-Budget Report 2002.

(105319)

24   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the assumptions are on which the projections concerning (a) fairness and prudence, (b) long-term sustainability, (c) economic impact, (d) financing and (e) European commitments in Table 2.6 of the pre-Budget Report 2002 are based; and what assumptions were made about (i) the state of the world economy and (ii) oil prices in compiling Table 2.6.

(105323)

25   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes in the output gap on the public finances were anticipated in making the estimates of the changes in the size of automatic stabilisers as set out in Table 2.4 of the Pre-Budget Report 2002.

(105318)

26   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the cautious assumptions referred to in paragraph 2.62 of the pre-Budget Report 2002, which were used to make public finance projections.

(105328)

27   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the assumptions are on which the projections of (a) surplus on current budget, (b) net borrowing, (c) cyclically adjusted surplus on current budget, (d) cyclically adjusted public sector net borrowing and (e) net debt in Table 2.3 of the 2002 Pre-Budget Report are based; and what assumptions were made about (i) the state of the world economy and (ii) oil prices in compiling Table 2.3.

(105316)

28   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what research was commissioned by his Department into the future of (a) oil and (b) non-oil commodity prices as outlined in paragraph A15 in the Pre-Budget Report, Cm 5664.

(105339)

29   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether National Audit Office audits of the key assumptions used for the fiscal projections made in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report audit (a) the process used in making these assumptions and (b) the assumptions themselves.

(105333)

30   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were made about (a) the state of the world economy, (b) oil prices and (c) the size of automatic stabilisers in compiling the projections of the changes to the current budget since Budget 2002, as set out in Table 2.4 of the Pre-Budget Report 2002.

(105317)

31   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects that the current economic cycle will end.

(105350)

32   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's assessment is of how the current conflict in the middle east will affect GDP growth in (a) the UK and (b) the other G7 countries.

(105335)

33   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to paragraph 2.10 of the Pre-Budget Report, Cm 5664, whether the Government is on target to meet its fiscal rules.

(105334)

34   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the change in the level of global economic uncertainty since November 2002.

(105322)

35   Mr Howard Flight (Arundel & South Downs): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions were used in forming the assumption in paragraph 2.44 of the pre-Budget Report 2002, that equity prices will rise in line with money GDP.

(105320)

36   Mr Philip Hammond (Runnymede & Weybridge): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to ensure that the Penrose Inquiry into Equitable Life will report as soon as possible.

(105239)

37   Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he is making to introduce a right for registration officers to be heard at employment tribunals when they are unfairly dismissed.

(105346)

38   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on insurance cover for those travelling by air in the event of a war or terrorist attack.

(105291)

39   James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the annual cost of in-service death benefits if they were extended to unmarried partners, in accordance with the definitions for the new Civil Service Pension Scheme, but with those costs borne by the Exchequer rather than by the members of the scheme, for (a) the financial year 2003-04 and (b) each of the 10 subsequent years at 2003-04 prices for (i) the whole of the public sector, (ii) the Teachers' Pensions Scheme, (iii) the NHS Pension Scheme, (iv) the Local Government Pension Scheme, (v) the Firemen's Pension Scheme, (vi) the Police Pension Scheme and (vii) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

(105361)

40   James Purnell (Stalybridge & Hyde): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs arising from the future service of current members if in-service death benefits were extended to unmarried partners, in accordance with the definitions for the new Civil Service Pension but with those costs borne by the Exchequer rather than by the members of the scheme, at 2003-04 prices for (a) the whole of the public sector, (b) the Teachers' Pensions Scheme, (c) the NHS Pension Scheme, (d) the Local Government Scheme, (e) the Firemen's Pension Scheme, (f) the Police Pension Scheme and (g) the Armed Forces Pension Scheme.

(105360)

41   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria HM Treasury used to define administration costs as set out in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses; and if he will make a statement.

(105204)

42   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer under what heading of public expenditure in departmental accounts the management of PFI and PPP contracts is defined.

(105205)

43   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the limits are on use by (a) team leaders and (b) managing directors in HM Treasury of the Treasury Entertainment Fund.

(105188)

44   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has undertaken regulatory impact assessments on (a) changes to stamp duty levels, (b) capital gains tax taper relief, (c) changes to charities taxation in the Finance Act 2000 and (d) changes to the VAT regime for energy saving goods in the Finance Act 2000; and if he will make a statement.

(105211)

45   Mr Mike Hancock (Portsmouth South): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his Answer to the honourable Member for Lewes, of 23rd January, Official Report, column 450W, on Iraq, how much of the money was spent on munitions.

(105355)

46
N   Mr Bernard Jenkin (North Essex): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, which Royal Navy vessels are available for maritime training; and if he will make a statement on the effect of Operation FRESCO on the availability of vessels.

(105128)

47   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) soldiers from British Overseas Territories and (b) Gibraltarians are deployed in Iraq.

(105248)

48   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what use is being made of the British military base on Gibraltar in connection with the crisis in Iraq.

(105247)

49   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether it is his intention to change the criteria of the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for service personnel claiming disability compensation from the basis of reasonable doubt to the balance of probability; and if he will make a statement.

(105300)

50   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what representations he has received within the last 12 months about changes to the criteria in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for service personnel claiming disability compensation; and if he will make a statement.

(105299)

51
N   Sir Michael Spicer (West Worcestershire): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to use HM forces to ensure the security of water reservoirs against the threat of terrorist attack.

(105038)

52   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what action he is taking to maximise broadband connections to new housing developments.

(105308)

53   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of unpaid council house rents in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105279)

54   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what estimate he has made of unpaid council tax in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105280)

55   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, how many responses he has received to the consultation on a referendum for an elected regional assembly for Yorkshire and the Humber.

(105289)

56   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what measures the Department has taken to publicise public meetings arising from the public consultation into referendums for regional assemblies.

(105197)

57   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what PSA targets there are for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

(105238)

58   Mr David Kidney (Stafford): To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, what the arrangements are for the review of the balance of funding for local government.

(105372)

59   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what his estimate is of the time needed to repay a student loan after 2006 on the assumptions of (a) a top up fee of £3,000 a year, (b) average earnings through the repayment period and (c) current levels of income taxation and inflation.

(105304)

60   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what plans he has to introduce a lower maximum annual top-up fee for part-time higher education courses.

(105309)

61   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how much HEFCE funding of research will be diverted from university departments graded (a) at 4 and (b) below 4 annually to finance enhanced payments for departments graded at 5 or above.

(105303)

62   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the estimated cohort size is of those attaining the compulsory school leaving age in each year from 1995 to 2010.

(105305)

63   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the gender ratio is of pupils (a) receiving special education and (b) statemented in mainstream schools, on account of emotional and behavioural difficulties; and if he will make a statement on (i) provision of places and (ii) appropriateness of educational experience among teachers in the light of that ratio.

(105310)

64   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what arrangements his Department makes for the regulation of private hire vehicle companies employed by local authorities to transport (a) adults and (b) children with (i) autism and (ii) other disabilities.

(105208)

65   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many errors in the repayment of student loans have been lodged with the Student Loans Company by (a) members of the public and (b) honourable Members in each of the last three years.

(105180)

66
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement regarding the provision of basic first aid education for children.

(104446)

67
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment he has made of (a) the benefits of first aid teaching at an early stage of children's education and (b) the age at which such education should be first provided.

(104447)

68   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many children per 1,000 are issued with a statement of special needs in (a) Haltemprice and Howden and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire.

(105234)

69   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many pupils were (a) suspended and (b) expelled from maintained schools in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105233)

70   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the funding per pupil was for (a) 5-10 year olds and (b) 11-15 year olds for each local education authority in England in each year since 1997.

(105284)

71   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, how many examination papers were remarked and upgraded in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the last academic year for which figures are available; and what the figures were for the preceding three academic years.

(105290)

72   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what proportion of pupils achieved each appropriate level in each key stage for all subjects in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105285)

73   Caroline Flint (Don Valley): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will estimate the impact of extending the Government's children's centres to cover 30 per cent. of the most disadvantaged wards in England by 2006.

(105311)

74   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the level of truancy due to anti-war demonstrations.

(105251)

75   Mr Adrian Sanders (Torbay): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what mechanisms there are for resolving disputes between schools and local authorities over the level of PFI unitary charges.

(105262)

76   Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will take steps to prevent a decline in the number of schools teaching Latin.

(105193)

77   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if she will amend the rules governing eligibility for Warm Front grants to include the pensioner credit.

(105255)

78
N   Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions have been held between her Department and the Treasury regarding the impact of duty on the use of biofuels.

(103960)

79   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the amount of ancient woodland in England.

(105227)

80   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to introduce statutory protection for ancient woodland in England.

(105226)

81   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on the Government's target to double the present capacity of CHP to 10,000MWe by 2010.

(105286)

82   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans she has to increase woodland cover in (a) the East Riding of Yorkshire, (b) Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) England.

(105276)

83   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations have been made to Kuwait about the use of the Kuwait Compensation Fund for the post-war reconstruction of Iraq.

(105264)

84   Dr Vincent Cable (Twickenham): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make a statement on the future use of the accumulated resources of the Kuwait Compensation Fund.

(105265)

85   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 24th March, Official Report, column 70W, on Guantanamo Bay, whether he has (a) requested formal consular access to Guantanamo Bay from the US authorities and (b) called for the status of the prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay to be decided by a tribunal; and if he will make a statement.

(105363)

86   Lynne Jones (Birmingham, Selly Oak): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his Answer of 18th March, Official Report, column 727, on OPCW, what information the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has given the UK Government about when budgetary contributions should be paid.

(105362)

87   Mr Chris Mullin (Sunderland South): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received about the source of evidence passed to the UN inspectors in Iraq in support of the allegation that Iraq had attempted to obtain uranium from Niger; and if he will make a statement.

(105302)

88   Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Chinese authorities concerning the treatment of Tibetan political prisoners.

(105244)

89   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what contingency plans are in place (a) to supply British citizens who remain in Kuwait with emergency supplies and (b) to evacuate such people.

(105249)

90   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British citizens remain in Kuwait; what advice he has given them; and what safety equipment has been made available to them.

(105250)

91   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the (a) telephone system and (b) network connections were provided as part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Telecommunications Network to the British Embassies in (i) Egypt, (ii) Syria, (iii) Jordan and (iv) Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

(105185)

92   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk of short term disruption to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Telecommunications Network in the event of the failure of the providing company; and if he will make a statement.

(105186)

93   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to protect the public against severe acute respiratory syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

(105210)

94   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what arrangements his Department makes for the regulation and training of private hire vehicle companies employed by local authorities to transport (a) adults and (b) children with (i) autism and (ii) other disabilities.

(105207)

95   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the (a) direct and (b) indirect costs are for the (i) establishment and (ii) operation of the Strategic Health Authority headquarters in York.

(105229)

96   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list (a) current and (b) proposed PFI projects for the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust.

(105232)

97   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many patients were registered with NHS services in each of the last five years in the area covered by the Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Hospitals Trust.

(105235)

98   Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what plans he has to publish the Green Paper on Genetics.

(105312)

99
N   Mr David Hinchliffe (Wakefield): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the NHS trusts and primary care trusts which have established a patients' advice and liaison service; how many staff each trust employs in each service; and if he will make a statement.

(103325)

100   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, into what category (a) HM Pentonville Prison, (b) HM Holloway Prison and (c) HM Feltham Prison fall, under the traffic lights performance monitoring system for prison health care centres.

(105176)

101   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the (a) care programme approach and (b) section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983 apply to prisoners.

(105175)

102   Mr Paul Marsden (Shrewsbury & Atcham): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether the practice of automatic detoxification of patients stabilised in the community on substitute prescriptions has been discontinued.

(105182)

103   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which contingent liabilities for which his Department has responsibility have matured in each of the last five financial years; and if he will make a statement.

(105178)

104   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Health, which fees his Department, its agencies and associated bodies collect; how much (a) has been raised and (b) will be raised from each of these fees in each year from 1989-90 to 2004-05; and which of these fees count as negative expenditure.

(105187)

105   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to extend Criminal Records Bureau checks to those who are associated with companies providing (a) services and (b) accommodation to vulnerable people.

(105307)

106   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 17th March, Official Report, column 586W, on the Inmate Information System (IIS), what percentage of inmates serving sentences have had their records linked to the IIS; what measures are being taken to address the limitations of the system; and what timetable he has set for rectifying these limitations.

(105358)

107   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 17th March, Official Report, column 586W, on the Inmate Information System (IIS), which computer systems are being considered as replacements for the IIS; and what the costs are of the systems being considered.

(105359)

108   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured by police vehicles in the Greater London area in each of the last three years.

(105271)

109   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many assaults have taken place against prison officer staff at prisons in England and Wales during the last 12 months.

(105266)

110   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many anti-social behaviour orders have been made in the Greater London area during the last 12 months.

(105269)

111   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many prisoners were being held in police cells at police stations within the Greater London area on 20th March.

(105270)

112   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children and young people up to the age of 16 years old have been refused entry into the UK in each of the last three years.

(105267)

113   Tom Cox (Tooting): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what checks are made by immigration officials relating to unaccompanied children and young people, as to the reason why entry is being sought; and if he will make a statement.

(105268)

114   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (a) what the detection rate for burglaries was in homes and (b) how many burglaries per 1,000 households there have been in the Humberside Police Authority area in each year since 1997; and what the detection rate for burglaries in homes was.

(105228)

115   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many juvenile offenders have breached (a) probation conditions and (b) curfew orders in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105231)

116   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the population of each prison in Haltemprice and Howden was in each year since 1997.

(105203)

117   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on crime trends within the Humberside Police Authority area.

(105230)

118   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 6th March, Official Report, column 1243W, on prisons, what measures the Government is taking to ensure the current planned uncrowded capacity for prisons in England and Wales in 2004 is closer to his Department's forecast average prison population for the same year.

(105237)

119   Mr Nick Gibb (Bognor Regis & Littlehampton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his Answer of 11th March, Official Report, column 211-2W, on prisons, what assessment he has made of the effect of reform to the criminal justice system on the reduction of (a) crime and (b) the prison population; and what estimate he has made of the number of prison service prisoners who will be held in police cells in 2004.

(105236)

120   Andrew Rosindell (Romford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action is being taken to return truants taking part in anti-war demonstrations to school; and what the cost has been of such action.

(105252)

121   Bob Russell (Colchester): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will undertake a survey of the operation by police forces of the Home Office's non-negotiable processes of applications by officers seeking retirement on the grounds of ill-health retirement; whether he will amend the process to enable a speedier conclusion; and if he will make a statement.

(105301)

122   Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, in what period of time his Department expects letters from the public to be answered.

(105315)

123   Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether there is evidence to show that the street crime initiative has displaced such crimes into areas not subject to the initiative.

(105314)

124   Mr Clive Soley (Ealing, Acton & Shepherd's Bush): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how his Department intends to evaluate the street crime initiative in the relevant police force areas; and if he will publish the evaluation.

(105313)

125   Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the recorded crime rate in Kent was in each year since 1997, broken down by major category of crime.

(105192)

126   Vera Baird (Redcar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government will take to ensure that humanitarian assistance is given on the basis of need by impartial and independent organisations.

(105212)

127   Vera Baird (Redcar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, for what reasons the Government has not made extra funding available to her Department to finance emergency preparedness.

(105202)

128   Vera Baird (Redcar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the UK Government is taking to ensure aid agencies have safe access to endangered populations.

(105200)

129   Vera Baird (Redcar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps the Government will take to support the role of the UN in co-ordinating humanitarian relief efforts.

(105181)

130   Vera Baird (Redcar): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how the (a) cost and (b) logistical challenge of aid operations to replace the Oil for Food Programme will be met.

(105201)

131
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what (a) recent discussions she has had with and (b) representations she has received from (i) the United States, (ii) the United Nations, (iii) aid charities and (iv) other groups and individuals on the distribution of genetically modified foodstuffs for (A) refugees and (B) displaced persons in Iraq as a consequence of any conflict; and if she will make a statement.

(104659)

132
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much her Department has allocated for the agricultural reconstruction of post-war Iraq, broken down by type of activity.

(104660)

133
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what estimate she has made of the total value of the Iraqi economy given over to agriculture in (a) 1989, (b) 1996 and (c) 2003, broken down by type.

(104661)

134
N   Mr Roger Williams (Brecon & Radnorshire): To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much foodstuff is available for relief work in Iraq by (a) the UK, (b) the EU, (c) the US and (d) other states, broken down by type; and what proportion of those foodstuffs are derived from genetically modified materials, broken down by type.

(104713)

135   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, how many youth court cases in the East Riding of Yorkshire have had to be abandoned because the (a) accused and (b) witnesses failed to attend in each year since 1997.

(105198)

136   Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what measures she is taking to ensure that magistrates receive an appropriate (a) level of training and (b) guidance as to how to handle anti-social behaviour order applications, with particular reference to the standard of proof required.

(105370)

137   Dr Howard Stoate (Dartford): To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, what measures she is taking to speed up the anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) application process; what proportion of ASBO cases in (a) 2001 and (b) 2002 required (i) one court hearing, (ii) two court hearings and (iii) three or more court hearings to reach a decision; and what steps she is taking to reduce the number of court hearings required in ASBO cases.

(105371)

138   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will make a statement on progress made in 2003 (a) to increase the number of multiple sclerosis sufferers commencing beta interferon treatment and (b) to provide more specialist staff for multiple sclerosis treatment.

(105191)

139   Mrs Iris Robinson (Strangford): To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many NHS patients from Northern Ireland have been sent outside the province to (a) the Republic of Ireland, (b) Great Britain and (c) elsewhere over the past year; and what the total cost incurred has been as a result.

(105190)

140   Tony Wright (Cannock Chase): To ask the Prime Minister, whether the Committee on Standards in Public Life has to receive his approval before undertaking an inquiry.

(105274)

141   Mr Crispin Blunt (Reigate): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will list the (a) dates and (b) amounts of payments of regional selective assistance to Lucky Goldstar since 1st May 1997.

(105183)

142   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what customs classifications apply to animal furs being imported into the country; and if she will make a statement.

(105357)

143   Annette Brooke (Mid Dorset & North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many fur pelts have been imported under the customs classification of other fur since January 2000; and if she will make a statement.

(105356)

144   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Post Office offers a Post Office card account that is fully accessible to people with physical and sensory impairments.

(105260)

145   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what action the Department has taken to support the development of the European Spallation Source project in (a) Selby and (b) Oxford University.

(105288)

146   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, how many people were employed in the manufacturing sector in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105195)

147
N   Mr Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will ask the Employment Tribunal Service to add data on the size of companies to statistics they collect on applications to employment tribunals.

(104139)

148   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps are being taken to develop sub-post offices as government general practitioner outlets.

(105348)

149   Mr Andrew Turner (Isle of Wight): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the Government's response to recommendation 18 of the Performance and Innovation Unit's report-Counter Revolution.

(105347)

150   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what arrangements his Department makes for the regulation of private hire vehicle companies employed by local authorities to transport (a) adults and (b) children with (i) autism and (ii) other disabilities.

(105209)

151   Miss Anne McIntosh (Vale of York): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance he gives about the impact on air passengers' and carriers' liability of (a) a war and (b) a terrorist attack.[R]

(105275)

152   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what impact he estimates a reduction in passenger demand for air travel as a result of the introduction of proposals to introduce environmental taxation on air travel, outlined in Aviation and the Environment, would have on Government estimates of passenger demand cited in The Future Development of Air Transport in the South East.

(105240)

153   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department is taking to monitor aircraft disturbance around airports, with particular reference to Stansted; and what plans his Department has for improving existing measures.

(105241)

154   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment of alternative runway mode has been undertaken in connection with the proposals for three additional runways at Stansted Airport outlined in The Future of Air Transport in the South East.

(105242)

155   Mr Mark Prisk (Hertford & Stortford): To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessments his Department has made of the potential cost to public funds of a significant transfer of Heathrow's long haul and USA scheduled services to Stansted Airport, if a second runway were to be built there.

(105243)

156   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) retirement pensioners and (b) recipients of child benefit will be able to arrange weekly payments to a bank or Post Office card account from next month.

(105272)

157   Mr Tim Boswell (Daventry): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many persons aged 65-70 receive disability living allowance or attendance allowance; and of these how many (a) receive a mobility payment and (b) do not do so on account of their having become disabled after the age of 65.

(105273)

158   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements have been made to ensure that a Post Office card account holder who has nominated a named carer or home care worker is able to have their pension collected when the carer or home care worker changes unexpectedly.

(105257)

159   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the exception scheme for the Post Office card account will be in place; and what it will cover.

(105261)

160   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will review the advice given to pensioners by the Pension Service on form BR2199(RP) in respect of hospital downrating.

(105254)

161
N   Mr David Chaytor (Bury North): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the value of the income related benefits disregard for war widow's pension is; when it was last updated; and what the rise in the retail price index has been since that date.

(104023)

162   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of benefit fraud in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

(105281)

163   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he has taken to identify the number of people in the East Riding of Yorkshire who are of a pensionable age who are not accessing benefits to which they are entitled.

(105196)

164   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will estimate the number of pensioners eligible for benefits in the East Riding of Yorkshire, broken down by benefit category.

(105278)

165   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many pensioners receive state benefits in the East Riding of Yorkshire, broken down by benefit category.

(105277)

166   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures the Department has taken to publicise the pension credit.

(105199)

167
N   Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the clients of Burnt Oak jobcentre live in Hendon constituency; what proportion of the total clientele of Burnt Oak jobcentre live in Hendon constituency; who was consulted about the jobcentre's proposed closure; in what way they were consulted; why the honourable Member for Hendon was not included in the consultation; when the jobcentre will close; why the honourable Member for Hendon was not informed of (a) the decision to close the jobcentre and (b) the date it was to be closed; if he will defer its closure to allow the honourable Member for Hendon to make representations; and if he will make a statement.

(105037)

168   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Statement of 24th March, Official Report, column 1WS, if he will list the measures to encourage retention that will qualify for a financial incentive; and if he will make a statement.

(105369)

169   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people have been sent home unseen from their medical assessment by SchlumbergerSema since May 2002; and if he will make a statement.

(105366)

170   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his Written Statement of 24th March, Official Report, column 1WS, what the budget is for the Employment Retention and Advancement Demonstration Project; how this will be distributed through the six districts; what the money will be allocated for; how often the evaluation of the project will take place; how many Advancement Support Advisers there will be in each of the six districts; what training will be given to these advisers; and if he will make a statement.

(105364)

171   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions he has had with SchlumbergerSema concerning performance levels since the re-awarding of its contract; and if he will make a statement.

(105367)

172   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many representations (a) his Department, (b) SchlumbergerSema, (c) the Benefits Agency and (d) Jobcentre Plus have received concerning the performance of SchlumbergerSema in conducting benefits medical assessments in each of the months since the contract was first awarded; and if he will make a statement.

(105368)

173   Paul Holmes (Chesterfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will list the levels of performance against the key performance targets in respect of SchlumbergerSema (a) for each of the last 12 months and (b) since the re-awarding of its contract; on how many occasions a financial remedy has been applied to SchlumbergerSema since it was first awarded the Benefits Medical Assessment Contract; how much the financial remedy was on each of the occasions until the re-awarding of the contract; how much the financial remedy was on each of the occasions since the re-awarding of the contract; and if he will make a statement.

(105365)

174   Adam Price (Carmarthen East & Dinefwr): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were claiming (a) unemployment-related and (b) sickness-related benefits in each (i) local authority and (ii) parliamentary constituency in Wales in January.

(105245)

175   Mr Andrew Robathan (Blaby): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has set a target for the number of benefit transactions currently paid in cash to be paid (a) into a current account, (b) into a basic bank account and (c) into a Post Office card account.

(105179)

176   Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what consultations he has had with the liquidators of the Lister Group regarding the level of pension to be paid to former employees of the firm.

(105184)

177   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will place a copy of the regulatory impact assessment for the pension credit in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

(105177)

178   Matthew Taylor (Truro & St Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what payments were made by the Export Credit Guarantees Department for claims relating to Iraq since 1990; and if she will make a statement.

[Transferred] (105189)

179   David Davis (Haltemprice & Howden): To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what the GDP was in each region in each year since 1997.

[Transferred] (105287)

180   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who opted for payment of benefits and pensions into a (a) bank or building society account and (b) Post Office card account by 28th February; and how many of those are (i) child benefit, (ii) veterans agency and (iii) pensions claimants.

[Transferred] (105256)

181   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what safeguards have been put in place to protect Post Office card account PIN numbers when an account holder has nominated a home care worker to collect benefits for them.

[Transferred] (105258)

182   Mr Paul Burstow (Sutton & Cheam): To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what milestones have been set for the procurement and implementation of the software and systems supporting the Post Office card account.

[Transferred] (105259)