Written answers

Iau, 17 Tachwedd 2005

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Offshore Wind Turbines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on tackling climate change through...

    • Biodiesel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department has commissioned research into the effects of biodiesel power generation.

      Energy Consumption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has taken to reduce energy consumption in her Department.

      Fish Stocks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to protect fish stocks in UK waters; and if she will make a statement.

      0870 Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the occasions in the last five years on which 0870 telephone numbers have been used by her Department as...

      Animal Snares

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will ban the (a) sale, (b) manufacture and (c) use of animal snares; and if she will make a statement.

      Bee Hive Inspection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her EU counterparts about EU proposals to restrict inspection of bee hives to veterinary...

      Bee Keeping/Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the annual value of the bee keeping industry to the (a) agricultural and (b)...

      Bee Keeping/Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the planned funding is for the National Bee Unit at the Central Science Laboratories at York; and what funding has...

      Beef

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her planned measures to help the English beef market.

      Beef

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the countries which permit import of UK beef; and how much each imported in each of the last three years.

      Beef

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the countries which do not permit the import of beef from the UK; and which of the countries export meat to...

      Bottled Water

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the number of litres of bottled (a) sparkling and (b) still water consumed in the United Kingdom in...

      Bypasses (Aylesbury Vale)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the likely impact of building bypasses upon the rural environment in Aylesbury Vale.

      Cattle Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on cattle passport fraud.

      Common Agricultural Policy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will release data relating to individual recipients in (a) Scotland and (b) Wales of payments under the Common...

      Departmental Estates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the director of building and estate management is in her Department; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the director of human resources is in her Department; what relevant specialist qualifications he or she holds; and what...

      Endangered Species

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought in each of the last three years for illegal imports of endangered species, broken...

      Farm Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements are in place to deal with full payments due to farmers under the Single Payment Scheme in 2005 not being...

      Farm Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will agree to the National Farmers Union proposal to increase the budget of the hill farm allowance to £50...

      Farmland Birds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of farmland bird species which are (a) in decline and (b) recovering in England and Wales.

      Fruit Growing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the fruit-growing industry in (a) England and (b) Lancashire.

      Horse Passports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure horse owners are aware of the requirement for horse passports; and what estimate she has...

      Hunting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to promote EU legislation to prohibit (a) the promotion of canned hunting trips and (b) the...

      IT Projects

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many IT projects have been developed for her Department since 2001; and whether she has agreed to make public Gateway...

      Live Animal Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of live animals imported for slaughter in the last year for which figures are available.

      Orchards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate how many orchards there are in England; and how many have preservation orders applied to them.

      Pet Travel Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the effectiveness of the Pet Travel Scheme.

      Poultry Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people are employed in the poultry industry; what the economic value of the poultry industry was in 2004–05;...

      Revenue Funding (Hemel Hempstead)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was allocated by her Department to Hemel Hempstead constituency for (a) capital projects and (b) revenue...

      Rights of Way

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many outstanding applications for Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATS) there were at (a) December 2003, (b) January 2005...

      Roof-nesting Gulls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government have published best practice guidance on the management of roof-nesting gulls.

      Rural Development Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many grants from her Department's Rural Development Service have been made in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley; and what...

      Single Farm Payment Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has received about delays in implementing the single farm payment scheme; and if she will...

      Single Farm Payment Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to resolve delays in the mapping of farms under the single farm payment scheme; and if she will...

      Single Farm Payment Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether payments under the single farm payment scheme in England and Wales will start by January 2006; and if she will make a...

      Stewardship Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people met the 31 August deadline for (a) higher and (b) entry level stewardship.

      Transport (Emissions)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what change there has been in (a) road transport vehicle carbon dioxide emissions and (b) single occupancy car commuting from...

      Water Voles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government is taking to maintain the population of water voles.

      Wildfowl

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations govern the release of wildfowl into the wild; and how many wildfowl have been released into the wild in each...

  • Transport

    • Bus/Light Rail Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average cost of a bus ticket to Brighton from Bexhill-on-Sea will be in 2006 following changes to Government subsidies.

    • Bus/Light Rail Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the use of (a) bus and (b) light rail changed in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005 to date compared with 2000 (A) in England and (B) broken down by...

      Bus/Light Rail Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many buses in operation offer easy access facilities; and what is his target for easy access facilities on buses.

      Criminal Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department between the end of the 2003–04 session and the end of...

      Departmental Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles his Department owns; and what the purpose, annual cost, type of fuel and average number of miles used per week is in each case.

      Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the regulations introduced in December 2003 prohibiting the use of mobile phones while driving.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date the consultation on rail closure procedures will start; and if he will make a statement.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) a.m. peak and (b) p.m. peak figures for (i) passengers in excess capacity and (ii) the total number of passengers were for London...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail penalty fares were (a) issued, (b) appealed and (c) successfully appealed in the last year for which figures are available.

      Taxis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to publish the draft Taxi Access Regulations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement.

      Transport Modernisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to modernise (a) buses and (b) trains.

      Transport Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the extent to which the 10-Year Plan for Transport of July 2000 has been implemented, with particular reference to the...

      Transport Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Government are taking to improve security on transport.

  • Leader of the House

    • Consultants/Special Advisers

      To ask the Leader of the House how many (a) consultants and (b) special advisers were employed by his Office in each year since 1997; what the cost of each was in each year; and if he will make a...

  • Wales

    • Drug and Alcohol Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to tackle drug and alcohol abuse in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

    • Pensioners (Cold Weather)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with Members of the National Assembly for Wales regarding provision for those over 65 years to ensure that they are not...

      Police Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received concerning the level of funding for the Police Service in Wales.

      Police Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with police forces in Wales on improving road safety; and if he will make a statement.

      Welsh Language Newspaper

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the Government will take steps under the provisions of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages to facilitate and support the creation...

      Youth Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on youth crime in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the British Government's attempts to tackle poppy production in the Nangarhar area of Afghanistan.

    • Colombian Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the number of Colombians (a) internally displaced and (b) seeking refuge in neighbouring...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by his Department.

      Disaster Relief

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the World Food Programme's (WFP) work with regards to the (a) Asian tsunami disaster and (b)...

      Disaster Relief

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will ensure that it is a condition of the aid provided that public buildings being rebuilt in Pakistan using UK aid are...

      Engineering Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries sponsored engineering students through the British Council Education UK partnership in the last year for which figures...

      HIV/AIDS

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the change in the incidence of HIV/AIDS cases in Eastern Europe; what projects to address...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) flights and (b) helicopter flights have been taken by Ministers within his Department for (i) UK and (ii) overseas visits...

      Nepal

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the impact of Nepal's conflict on children; what projects to address this issue his...

      Population Growth (African Lakes)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of rapid population growth on lakes in African countries; what...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid the UK is providing to the displaced population in the Darfur region of Sudan.

  • Minister for Women

    • Equal Pay

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what the average difference in pay was between full-time male and female company directors in each year since 2001.

    • Equal Pay

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of the implications of the gender pay gap for levels of female employment.

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Tours

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much money has been made from the provision of tours of the House during the summer recess.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • British Olympic Association

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the evidence from the Chief Executive of the British Olympic Association to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on...

    • Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Department takes to ensure that consultancies do not claim excessive expenses while working for the Department and its...

      Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list departmental projects conducted by consultants in each year since 2000; what the cost was in each case; and what the...

      Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what mechanisms are in place to assess the effectiveness of consultant-led projects in her Department; what sanctions are available to...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects Ofcom to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Mid Dorset and North Poole dated 26 May, passed to Ofcom by her...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter dated 1 September from the right hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood, ref CMS 22294/DC.

      Digital Switchover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is her latest estimate of the date by which households across Pendle constituency will be able to receive digital terrestrial...

      Licensing Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the Licensing Act on performances in schools and hospitals; and if she will make a statement.

      Licensing Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Government have provided on licensing appeals to magistrates courts under the Licensing Act 2003.

      Licensing Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate the Government have made of the number of licensing applications made under the Licensing Act 2003 that have been...

      Licensing Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance the Department has issued on the grounds for appealing a Licensing Act 2003 licensing appeal decision of the magistrates...

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions her Department has had with the London Development Authority regarding businesses in the Marshgate Lane area...

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of the proposed Olympic Park site is (a) greenfield and (b) brownfield land; and how much is planned to be (a) greenfield and...

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the composition of the Olympic Delivery Authority Board will be; and what criteria will be used when selecting members.

      Television Licences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the annual average number of people given prison sentences for not paying their television licence was over the last five years;...

      Television Licences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Leeds, North-West have been prosecuted for not having a television licence in each of the last five years.

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Asylum and Immigration Appeals

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many asylum and immigration appeals lodged prior to 4 April are still outstanding; how many have been determined in each...

    • Asylum and Immigration Appeals

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many asylum appeals are outstanding in Scotland.

      Asylum and Immigration Appeals

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many immigration appeals have been held in Scotland in 2005.

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by her Department.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in his Department were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997.

    • Equality/Diversity Units

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost to public funds of supporting (a) equality and (b) diversity units within central Government was in the last period for which figures...

      National Minimum Wage

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many staff in his Department were affected by the increase in the national minimum wage on 1 October.

      Strategy Unit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to his answer of 3 November 2005, Official Report, columns 1353–54W, on the Strategy Unit, what the other phases of the work will be.

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will make a statement on the progress made in reducing narcotics production and trafficking in Afghanistan; (2) what representations he has...

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what funds have been provided by his Department (a) to assist Afghanistan's counter narcotics effort and (b) to train Afghan police; and if he will make...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what funds his Department has provided (a) to help create a new Afghan army and (b) to reconstitute Afghanistan's police force since 2002; (2) if...

      HMS Sheffield

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many requests have been made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 for information relating to HMS Sheffield; when the requests were made; and on...

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints of (a) unfair treatment, (b) discrimination, (c) harassment and (d) bullying have been made by members of the armed forces in each...

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen and women injured on active service since 2000 have stayed on in the armed forces in a non-combatant role; and if he will make a...

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 1067W, how many foreign nationals are serving in the armed forces, broken down by...

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of armed service personnel in 2002–03 were (a) Irish citizens and (b) foreign nationals.

      Armed Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the terms of reference were of research undertaken in the past five years into the socio-economic background of recruits to the armed services; what...

      Gulf War Veterans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gulf War veterans in Northern Ireland are in receipt of (a) financial and (b) medical support provided by his Department.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of (a) health problems of British troops returning from serving in Iraq and (b) the causes thereof.

      Medals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the issuing of medals.

      Military Airfields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are maintained of US civil registered aircraft landing at UK military airfields.

      Military Airfields

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what records are maintained of individuals who arrive into the UK at military airfields on US registered aircraft.

      Military Flying Training System

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planning assumption is for entry into service of the UK military flying training system; what the forecast cost is for (a) spending on the...

      RAF (Recruits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many recruits to the Royal Air Force there were in each of the last eight years; and how many he expects there to be in the next two years.

      RAF Bases (Ministerial Visits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Air Force bases Ministers have visited in the last 12 months.

      Random Drug Testing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used in selecting departmental establishments for random drug testing.

      Royal Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Royal Navy's budget will be for each of the next five years.

      Service Discharges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed forces have been discharged as unfit in each year since 1990 from each service.

      Service Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel have been based in each region of the UK in each year since 1995.

      Territorial Army

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army live in Paisley and Renfrewshire, North constituency.

  • Solicitor-General

    • Freedom of Information

      To ask the Solicitor-General if he will list Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to the Law Officers which have been passed to the FOI clearing house for evaluation, broken down by (a)...

    • IT Projects

      To ask the Solicitor-General how many IT projects have been developed for his Department since 2001; and whether he has agreed to make public Gateway reviews for these projects (a) in full and...

  • Prime Minister

    • Financial Contribution

      To ask the Prime Minister in what areas of the cost of his (a) accommodation, (b) security and (c) transport (i) he and (ii) his family makes a contribution to the expenses incurred by the Government.

    • Peerages

      To ask the Prime Minister what account he takes of the record of donation to political parties of persons he is minded to recommend for elevation to the peerage; and if he will make a statement.

  • Home Department

    • Antisocial Behaviour Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in (a) Havering, (b) Essex and (c) Greater London have had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three and (iv) four or more antisocial...

    • At-risk Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children were on the at-risk register in each local authority in England at the end of each council year since 1989.

      Bail Hostels

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many bail hostels serve courts in Surrey.

      Community Service Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to make community service offenders wear recognisable clothing.

      Counter-terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his oral answer of 7 November 2005, Official Report, column 9, on counter-terrorism, which EU countries can detain terrorist...

      Criminal Records Bureau

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of Criminal Records Bureau checks made per week (a) was in (i) 2003 and (ii) 2004 and (b) has been to date in 2005.

      De-activated Firearms

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many de-activated Lee Enfield Mark 1, First World War rifles have been used in the commission of an offence in the last five years; and...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent employee reductions (a) were achieved in 2004–05 and (b) are expected to be achieved in 2005–06 as...

      DNA Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual records have been added to the national DNA database in each month since January 2004.

      DNA Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been found guilty on the basis of evidence from the DNA database since its inception.

      Government Telecommunications

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the security implications of the supply of Government telecommunications equipment by overseas manufacturers.

      Influenza Pandemic

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police forces regarding the development of contingency plans for use in the event of an influenza pandemic;...

      Malicious Damage Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 35 and (B) 36...

      Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to provide offenders with mental health problems rehabilitation after sentencing.

      National Offender Management Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how regional offender managers will be involved in contestability under the National Offender Management Service arrangements.

      National Offender Management Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to complete (a) assessment of and (b) consultation on the organisational design options to deliver (i) integrated offender...

      Neighbourhood Disruption

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that juveniles do not cause disruption to others in their neighbourhood after 9 pm.

      Neighbourhood Watch

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many neighbourhood watch schemes are in operation in West Lancashire.

      Neighbourhood Watch

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding is available for neighbourhood watch in West Lancashire.

      Offences Against the Person Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of section 36 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to merge police forces according to the bounderies used for regional assemblies; and if he will make a statement.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on the effectiveness of national recruiting guidelines for the police force; and if he will make a statement.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of the national guidelines on recruitment standards for the police force in the Library.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training in management skills is available for police officers.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers are on the force in Gravesham; and if he will take steps to increase this number.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what boundaries the Government will use for the restructuring of police forces; and what assessment he has made of the merits of using...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to improve the quality of local policing in Coventry, South; and if he will make a statement.

      Prison Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on individuals employed by the Prison Service who wish to continue working beyond the age of 60.

      Prisoner Release

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners are released with (a) no arranged employment and (b) no accommodation.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to enable prisoners to continue with educational courses started in prison after their release.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to provide victim support-based treatment for prison inmates who were victims of sexual abuse prior to incarceration.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many assaults have taken place on prison officers (a) in total, (b) in the Prison Service and (c) within private prisons in each of the...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of overcrowding on the operation of Springhill Prison; (2) what steps his Department is...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to reduce the number of suicides in prisons.

      Probation Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people (a) joined and (b) left the Probation Service in England and Wales during (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05, broken...

      Prostitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to bring forward legislation on prostitution following his recent review.

      Protection from Harassment Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many times the powers under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 have been used to prevent an individual from contacting a...

      Relocation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in his Department (a) were relocated in 2004–05 and (b) are expected to be relocated in 2005–06 as a result of...

      Reoffenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted criminals re-offended while on bail in the last period for which figures are available.

      Sexual Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action is being taken by his Department to increase the provision of treatment for sex offenders in prison.

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with his Australian counterpart on the operation of detention policy for (a) terrorist suspects and (b) those...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department requested United Kingdom police forces to contact hon. Members on the subject of the Terrorism Bill.

      Women Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women in Wales were sentenced to a period of imprisonment in the last five years, broken down by prison.

      Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the findings of the research project into the impact of section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to be...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the band D council tax was in 2004–05, in the billing authorities affected by the 2004–05 in-year capping designation, giving separately (a)...

    • English Partnerships

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money has been raised by English Partnerships in each of the last four years through the sale of assets in Milton Keynes.

      Firefighters

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) part-time and (b) full-time firefighters serviced (i) Northamptonshire and (ii) Kettering constituency in each year since 1997.

      Gershon Review

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the total amount of money to be saved from Gershon initiative efficiency savings in local government in England; and how those...

      Home Improvement Packs

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans the Government have to conduct a pilot scheme for home improvement packs; and if he will make a statement.

      Standards Board

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice the Standards Board has issued to (a) councillors and (b) monitoring officers in relation to whether a ward councillor may sit on a licensing...

      Local Government Funding

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what impact he expects changes in the local government formula grant to have on public services delivered by (a) Dacorum borough council and (b) Hertfordshire...

      Local Government Funding

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responses relating to the local government finance consultation he has received from (a) Dacorum borough council and (b) Hertfordshire county council; and...

      Local Government Pension Scheme

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the estimated total (a) assets and (b) liabilities are of the local government pension scheme; what assumptions underlay the calculation of the liability;...

      Local Government Pension Scheme

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local government manual workers who began employment before 1991 completed 12 months' service entitling them to membership of the local government...

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what proportion of Tamworth's council housing stock has been sold under the right-to-buy scheme in each year since 1980;

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes he expects will be built in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) Kettering constituency in each year to (i) 2011, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2031 as...

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable homes were provided by housing associations in (a) Northamptonshire and (b) Kettering constituency in each year since 1997.

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many housing associations were in receipt of Government funding (a) in England, (b) in Northamptonshire and (c) in Kettering constituency in each year since 1997.

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many units of affordable housing have been built in Hemel Hempstead constituency in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much housing market renewal grant funding has been allocated to the demolition of properties in each Pathfinder area in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06.

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1433W, on empty homes, how many of the empty homes in (a) Kettering, (b) East Midlands and (c)...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 35W, on local government finance, if he will publish estimates for each local authority for...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) the Lyons review have allocated to commissioning research from outside bodies in relation to local government finance in the...

      Markets

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions (a) he and (b) his Department have had with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the future of (i) the Red House cold store on...

      Village Shops

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact of business rate reductions for village shops.

  • Health

    • Auto-immune Diseases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment has been made of the effects of mycophenolate mofetil on patients with auto-immune diseases, with particular reference to (a)...

    • Cancelled Operations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled by West Hertfordshire hospital trust (a) for medical reasons and (b) because of a lack of beds at (i) St. Albans...

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the Department's research and development priorities in cancer treatment.

      Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the average waiting times for radiotherapy in the NHS, broken down by (a) radical and (b) palliative treatment intent.

      Capital Investment (Liverpool Hospitals)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has for new capital investment in the (a) Royal Liverpool university hospital and (b) Royal Liverpool children's hospital at Alder Hey.

      Clinical Negligence Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many successful clinical negligence claims were made against each hospital in hospital trusts in the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists are operating in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to improve dental services in Wakefield.

      Diagnostic Scans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many diagnostic scans were carried out in the NHS in 2004.

      Health Services (Contractors)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 5 July 2005, Official Report, column 349W, on Health Services (Contractors), what the value is of each of the contracts agreed...

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the individual budget pilots will clarify the relationship between the Single Assessment Process and the housing sector, including Supporting People.

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of responses to the Green Paper on Independence Well-being and Choice included comments on the contribution of housing and housing-related...

      Medway Primary Care Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients from (a) Sheppey and (b) Sittingbourne were treated by Medway Primary Care Trust in Medway hospitals in (i) 2003–04 and (ii)...

      Midwifery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacant positions there are for midwives in the NHS; what plans her Department has to recruit more midwives into the NHS; what recent estimate she...

      Morecambe Bay Hospital Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses have been employed by Morecambe Bay hospital trust in each year since 1997.

      National Service Framework for Older People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many integrated continence services have been set up in England; how many are planned to be established; and when she expects to meet the target for...

      NHS Employers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are employed by NHS Employers; and what its annual budget has been since establishment.

      NHS Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her oral answer to the hon. Member for Wimbledon (Stephen Hammond) of 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 156, on NHS finance, how many...

      Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial provision is available for nurses returning to the profession after a break.

      Primary Care Trust (Funding)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the funding per capita was for each primary care trust in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement.

      Radiotherapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the average waiting times for (a) radical and (b) palliative radiotherapy in the area covered by West Hertfordshire...

      Rehabilitation Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what national standards there are for rehabilitation services for blind and partially-sighted people.

      Rehabilitation Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what terms of reference have been given to the Department's scoping of the provision of rehabilitation services in the NHS and social services; and when...

      School Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses are practising in Hemel Hempstead constituency.

      Sleep Apnoea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research the Government have commissioned on the effects of continuous positive airway pressure equipment for people suffering from sleep apnoea.

      Vaccinations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the impact of the new general medical services contract on the provision of childhood vaccination services.

  • Education and Skills

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 8 November 2005, Official Report, columns 453–54W, whether those referred to as other sources and partners,...

    • Academies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the new skills academies in (a) manufacturing, (b) construction, (c) food and drink and (d) financial...

      Apprenticeships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the funding mechanism is for training organisations providing apprenticeships.

      Bichard Report

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what changes she proposes for disclosure of details of sexual activity by minors when coming into contact with health professionals in...

      Carbon Management Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

      Career Guidance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) in which areas of England graduates are eligible for free career support; (2) why she has removed the right to free career guidance...

      Education Maintenance Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grades were achieved by those receiving the education maintenance allowance in each year that it has been available. Question number...

      Examination Results

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the public examination results were in (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005 of the three non-selective state secondary schools...

      Learning and Skills Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget for the branding and advertising programme for the Learning and Skills Council Local Partnership teams will be.

      Level 2 Skills

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the cost benefit to the economy of training to level 2 those adults who lack skills at level 2.

      New Deal for Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the impact on training providers of the removal of the training and subsidised job options from the new deal...

      Regional Skills Bureaucracy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she will take to ensure overlap does not occur in their work in relation to skills of the regional development agencies, the...

      School Work (Marking)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice is offered by her Department to schools on best practice in the marking of pupils' work.

      Sexual Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she plans to publish the findings of the pilot study in Sheffield for the Working Together to Safeguard Children protocols on sexual...

      Union Learning Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of the courses funded through the Union Learning Fund are (a) basic skills courses, (b) level 1 and level 2 courses...

      Youth Work Projects

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will establish a cross-Government working group (a) to review, in partnership with the National Youth Agency and others, existing...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Carbon Management Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

    • Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the refund due under Child Support Agency reference number 0677911890 will be paid.

      Departmental Press Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many press officers are employed in his Department; and what the cost of employing them was in the last year for which figures are available.

      Departmental Press Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new press officers his Department is planning to employ over the next 12 months; and at what cost.

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming incapacity benefit in Milton Keynes.

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the quarterly average exit rate for (a) incapacity benefit and (b) severe disability allowance has been since May 1997.

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people in West Lancashire constituency are in receipt of incapacity benefit; (2) how many people in West Lancashire...

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the percentage of incapacity benefit claimants have been receiving the benefit for more than five years; and what this percentage was in...

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of people receive incapacity benefit in Scotland.

      Parliamentary Question

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will answer the question tabled on 7 October by the hon. Member for Chipping Barnet, ref. 16546.

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what percentage of days were lost through sickness absence in Jobcentre Plus in each of the last two years, broken down by (a) region and...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incidents of violence against staff working in Jobcentre Plus have been reported in each of the last two years, broken down by (a)...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the recent reductions in staffing at job centres arose from (a) resignation of personnel who have not been replaced, (b) voluntary...

      Low-income Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the changes his Department have introduced to help low income families since 1997.

      New Deal for Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what further education and training has been available through the new deal for young people in each region in each year since 1998; and what...

      New Deal for Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of those on the new deal for young people have a criminal record.

      New Deal for Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the (a) training and (b) subsidised job options will remain as options in the new deal for young people in (i) London and (ii) the...

      NI Telephone Queries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people called the 0845 8500284 number in respect of national insurance queries; how many times the line was engaged; and how many...

      Pensioners (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many pensioners in (a) Crewe and Nantwich borough and (b) England are (i) receiving pension credit and (ii) eligible for but not...

      Pensioners (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Gravesham constituency are (a) entitled to and (b) in receipt of pension credit.

      Pensioners (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many pensioners received means-tested benefits (a) in the latest period for which figures are available and (b) in the equivalent...

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Government are taking to reduce the inequality in pensions between men and women at the point of retirement.

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) children and (b) pensioners were living in poverty in the Vale of Clwyd in each of the last 20 years.

      Regeneration (Burslem)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Department's contribution to economic regeneration in Burslem.

      Service Efficiency Targets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on compliance by his Department with service efficiency targets with particular reference to time taken to handle...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Arms Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the percentage of British (a) produced and (b) brokered arms which are used to commit human...

    • Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Burmese Government's decision to move the seat of government from Rangoon to Pyinmana; what...

      Call Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many call centres were run by his Department and its agencies in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06...

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the (a) occasions and (b) dates when he has raised the issue of human rights in (i) Tibet and (ii) China with...

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his assessment of the degree of compliance by China with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and...

      Farm Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether an agreement has been reached on farm subsidies in Bulgaria and Romania in anticipation of their accession to the...

      Damages

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 10 largest amounts of damages paid out by his Department in the last year for which figures are available,...

      Departmental Assets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 10 most valuable (a) movable and (b) immovable assets owned by his Department.

      Departmental Salaries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the 10 highest-paid employees in his Department, broken down by (a) job title and (b) salary including bonuses;...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in his Department were (a) civil servants, (b) contractors and (c) other staff in each year since 1997.

      EU Presidency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress he has made in achieving his aims for the United Kingdom's presidency of the...

      Holy See

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the new United Kingdom Ambassador to the Holy See is a UK citizen.

      Holy See

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 1 November, 2005, Official Report, column 954W, on Holy See, what assessment was made of the...

      Holy See

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications were received for the post of UK Ambassador for the Holy See; and how many of these were from applicants...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was first informed that anthrax supplied to Iraq was sourced from the United States.

      Italy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Government officials had (a) direct contact and (b) contact via other parties with the Italian national Rocco Martino...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent in each year from 1st May 1997 on ministerial travel, broken down by (a) provision and running costs of...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list, for each year since 1995, the number of flights, including helicopter flights, taken by Ministers within his...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of amending his travel arrangements and returning from Moscow in order to vote in the House on 9...

      Nepal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the British Ambassador to Nepal has been recalled to London.

      Nuclear Non-proliferation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 753–54W, on non-proliferation, what his policy is on...

      Nuclear Non-proliferation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 753–54W, on non-proliferation, whether he expects the...

      Private Militia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the merits of regulation of private (a) military and (b) security companies; and if he will make...

      Retired Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many retired officers were employed in overseas postings in each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement.

      South America

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with governments in the Andean region regarding (a) governance reforms and (b) the enhancement of...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in the Darfur region of Sudan.

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with permanent members of the United Nations Security Council on an arms embargo on the Sudanese...

      UK Ambassadors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK ambassadors are not UK citizens; and if he will make a statement.

      UK Presidency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the cost of running the UK presidency of the EU.

      United States (Prince of Wales's Visit)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who the duty Minister was in attendance in respect of HRH the Prince of Wales's official visit to the US.

      United States (Prince of Wales's Visit)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis Mr. Michael Fawcett was included in the process for the selection and purchase of official gifts given by HRH the...

      United States (Prince of Wales's Visit)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which persons from the Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment accompanied HRH Prince of Wales on his official visit to...

      Zanzibar

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the (a) transparency and (b) legitimacy of the recent elections in Zanzibar.

  • Northern Ireland

    • 11 Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria were used in making the decision that no pilot tests would be carried out in connection with the removal of the 11 plus.

    • Cancer Patients (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the Department for Social Development is taking to improve access to the statutory benefits system for patients who have been...

      Company Insolvencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many company insolvencies there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

      Cormorants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his estimate is of the number of cormorants in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

      Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the railway carriages in Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin, were cut up and repositioned.

      Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under what conditions the deposit of the railway carriages in Crosshill Quarry, Crumlin, laid down by the planning appeal tribunal in 1983 were...

      Disabled Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which Government buildings in Northern Ireland remain to be adapted to meet the needs of people with disabilities; and when the necessary...

      Electronic Human Resources

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether an Equality Impact Assessment was carried out in respect of the proposal to outsource the Civil Service Electronic Human Resources work;...

      Emergency Drills

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what dates since October 2001, local authorities and emergency services in Northern Ireland have carried out emergency drills for terrorist...

      Grammar Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with parents about the grammar school system of education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

      Marine Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he has made in developing proposals for a Marine Bill for Northern Ireland; and what resources have been set aside to implement...

      Parades Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that parades for which no proper application has been submitted to the Parades...

      Parades Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to announce the appointment of the new Chairman and Members of the Parades Commission in Northern Ireland.

      Pensioners Parliament

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public funding has been provided to Northern Ireland groups dealing with senior citizens' issues in Northern Ireland to attend a Pensioners...

      Post Offices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what representations he has received about the proposed closure of Crown post offices in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

      Post-16 Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) 16, (b) 17, (c) 18, (d) 19, (e) 20 and (f) 21-year-olds were in further education in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

      Punishment Beatings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) if he will list (a) dissident Republican and (b) Loyalist groups which have been linked to punishment beatings since July; (2) when he...

      Race Crimes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many race crimes have been referred by the Police Service for Northern Ireland to the Public Prosecution Service over the past three years;...

      Retail Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment his Department has made of the extent of competition in the Northern Ireland retail market; and if he will make a statement.

      Retail Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research has been undertaken by his Department into the market share of each of the four largest multiple retail chains in Northern Ireland.

      Roads

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the reasons for the recent changes in funding for structural roads maintenance; what was the initial external...

      School Admissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects to introduce legislation to change the admissions policy of schools in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

      School Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the annual cost of school transport if the compulsory seat belt policy is implemented on school buses in Northern...

      Security Guards (Crown Insignia)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether security guards providing services to Northern Ireland Civil Service buildings wear Crown insignia.

      Sewage (Strangford)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has (a) to improve the sewage system at Darragh Cross and (b) to upgrade the system to include the villages of Raffrey and...

      Social Work Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make social work degree students from Northern Ireland studying outside Northern Ireland eligible for bursaries.

      Unauthorised Encampments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce measures to combat unauthorised encampments.

      Water Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the rationalisation process in the Water Service.

      Youth Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the (a) actions and (b) activities to be funded by the children and young people's funding package announced in Budget and...

  • Trade and Industry

    • Charities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when charities lost exemption from competition rules on exchange of information; what mechanism was used to make the change; for what reasons...

    • Clear Skies Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of (a) the quality and (b) the number of (i) solar hot water, (ii) biomass, (iii) wind, (iv) ground source heat...

      Clear Skies Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the funding requirements of solar photovoltaics following the end of the Clear Skies scheme.

      Coal Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal has been imported from China in the last five years.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Clwyd, South of 5 May 2004, 15 June 2004, 26 July 2004 and 22 March 2005 relating...

      Criminal Offences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department between the end of the 2003–04 session and the...

      Departmental Rebranding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent on rebranding in his Department and related agencies in each of the last five years.

      Departmental Sickness Absence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidelines his Department has in place to deal with sickness absence; and what steps are being taken to reduce the rate of sickness absence.

      Departmental Skills Development Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which individual is responsible for developing and implementing his Department's Skills Development Plan.

      Electricity Supply

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research has been undertaken by his Department into reducing electricity demand through replacement of inefficient end-use of electricity...

      Emissions Targets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether it is a target of his Department to achieve a 20 per cent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010; what progress his Department...

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list UK organisations in receipt of (a) UK and (b) EU funds for projects promoting gender equality, broken down by (i) project and...

      Government Chief Scientific Adviser

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what overseas visits the Chief Adviser for the Government on Science has made in the last two years; where his interests are recorded; what...

      IT Projects

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many IT projects have been developed for his Department since 2001; and whether he has agreed to make public Gateway Reviews for these...

      Low-carbon Buildings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his written statement on 2 November 2005, Official Report, column 47WS, on low-carbon buildings, what assessment he has made of...

      Medical Research Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the budget of the Medical Research Council has been in each year since 1997–98; and what percentage of the budget was spent in each...

      Microgeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the merits of encouraging the use of microgeneration in homes and businesses.

      Offshore Wind Power

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution he expects offshore wind power to make to Government policy for tackling climate change.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to power their buildings from renewable energy sources.

      Renewable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the total expenditure in 2005 under the capital grant programme for biomass research was funded by (a) his Department and (b) the...

      Skills Sector (National Co-ordination)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what formal co-ordination in respect of skills issues takes place between the regional development agencies, the Learning and Skills Councils...

      Solar Photovoltaics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research he has commissioned on the viability of photovoltaic solar cells as a significant national renewable energy source.

      Solar Photovoltaics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the Government's solar photovoltaics major demonstration programme on private sector investment...

      Solar Photovoltaics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to ensure levels of capital grant support to the (a) solar photovoltaics and (b) other micro-renewable industries...

      Statistics of Trade Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many (a) males and (b) females have been (i) charged and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under section 4 of the...

      Two Roof Strategy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's two roof strategy.

  • Treasury

    • Corporation Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much corporation tax was raised from businesses in Wales in each year since 1997.

    • Economic Productivity

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the relationship between primary energy use and economic productivity.

      Hospital Births (Southampton)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many babies have been born in each hospital operated by Southampton University Hospitals Trust in each of the last five years.

      Illegal Drugs (Staffordshire)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths in Staffordshire were caused by illegal drugs in each year since 1997.

      Income Tax Returns

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fines were issued for the late return of income tax returns in each year since 2000, broken down by tax office; and how many were subsequently...

      Long-term Limiting Illness

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of 65 to 74-year-olds are recorded as having a long-term limiting illness in (a) Inner London local authorities, (b) Outer London local...

      Network Rail

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he had with his Cabinet colleagues on the classification of Network Rail's liabilities; and if he will make a statement. Question...

      Public Service Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the percentage of gross domestic product which would be accounted for by public service pensions before the proposed reforms to...

      Solar Photovoltaics Programme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic assessment he has made of the 2003 Energy White Paper's commitment to a 2002 to 2012 solar photovoltaics programme; and if he will make a...

      Torbay/Plymouth Unitary Authorities

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the letter of 14 November from the National Statistician to the hon. Member for Torbay, what the figures are for the unitary authorities of (a)...

  • House of Lords

    • 10 Downing Street: Mr Phil Flynn

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether Mr Phil Flynn has visited Number 10 Downing Street in connection with the Irish peace process in the past five years; if so, when these visits occurred;...

    • British Citizenship: Home Office Briefing Paper

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why Home Office officials deleted two sentences in the Home Office position from paragraph 16 of the briefing paper sent to the Minister of State for Immigration,...

      Council for Catholic Maintained Schools

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools restricts the employment of (a) contractors; (b) architects; and (c) quantity surveyors to Roman Catholics; and...

      Department of Health: Guidance on Fabricated or Induced Illness

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, following the decision of the General Medical Council to strike off Professor Sir Roy Meadow, they will now withdraw or review the guidance issued by the...

      Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Who are the commissioners on the Northern Ireland Equality Commission; what is the religious and gender balance; and what is the nationality and country of...

      European Union Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will ask the European Commission to complete the criteria for prior approval of health claims under the proposed European Union Regulation on...

      European Union Regulation on Nutrition and Health Claims Made on Foods

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they will publicly consult on the development of the community list of health claims to be submitted to the European Food Safety Authority under the proposed...

      Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs:E-mail Correspondence

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why, given that 2005 has been designated the year of e-government, it is not yet possible to engage in correspondence with H M Inspectors of Taxes by e-mail.

      Irish Language Agency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What groups and individuals have been consulted about the proposed relocation of the headquarters of the Irish Language Agency.

      Looked-after Children

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What are the terms of reference for the consultation planned for 2006 on proposals specific to "looked-after children".

      Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have made any assessment of which employers may be prepared to employ individuals with a diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic...

      National Information Forum

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Which organisations have been invited to take part in the National Information Forum, as promised in the National Health Service information strategy, Better...

      New Housing: Water Supplies

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What information on the provision of water supplies for new housing in the south-east was contained in their concordat with the Environment Agency.

      NHS Dentistry

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the reply by the Baroness Royall of Blaisdon on 13 October (Official Report, cols. 410–12), what research had been undertaken into the effect of...

      Northern Ireland Civil Service

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the total establishment figure for the Northern Ireland Civil Service on 1 September for each year since 2000.

      Northern Ireland Office: Information Security

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Which Minister has responsibility for information security in the Northern Ireland Office.

      Northern Ireland: Children with Autism

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Northern Ireland Children's Minister has had recent discussions regarding autism; if so, with whom; and whether they intend to devise and implement a...

      Northern Ireland: Children with Dyslexia

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How much they have spent on special requirements for children in education with dyslexia in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years.

      Northern Ireland: Drug Seizures

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What have been the number of seizures in Northern Ireland for 2004–05 in comparison to those in 2000–01 of (a) cocaine powder and wraps; (b) LSD doses...

      Northern Ireland: Festivals

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Who were the consultants in 2003 who gave advice to the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure concerning festivals; and how much each consultant was paid.

      Northern Ireland: Fuel Laundering

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 10 October (WA 62) concerning fuel laundering, what steps they have taken in each year since 2000 to stop such...

      Northern Ireland: Fuel Laundering

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Rooker on 10 October (WA 62) on organised crime and fuel processing, whether a targeted strategy has been put in place to...

      Northern Ireland: Liquor Licences and Additional Permitted Hours Applications

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why they do not propose to charge commercial or real cost fees for liquor licences and late extensions in Northern Ireland.

      Northern Ireland: Post-primary Education

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the latest estimate of additional transport costs per annum that will be incurred by (a) pupils; and (b) teachers to give effect to the entitlement...

      Northern Ireland: Post-primary Education

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What standards of reliability and validity are being applied to the pupil profile being drawn up by the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum Examinations...

      Northern Ireland: Post-primary Education

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in implementing the proposals of the Costello working group on post-primary education in Northern Ireland, legislative provision will be made to ensure...

      Northern Ireland: Post-primary Education

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether planning for the implementation of the proposals by the Costello working group on post-primary education in Northern Ireland is on target to ensure that...

      Northern Ireland: Provisional IRA

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Provisional Irish Republican Army still exists in Northern Ireland.

      Northern Ireland: Railways

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will encourage Northern Ireland Railways to run direct Enterprise trains from Londonderry to Dublin daily.

      Northern Ireland: Real IRA

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Real Irish Republican Army still exists in County Armagh.

      Northern Ireland: Reform of Liquor Licensing Laws

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the equality screening exercise under Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 on the proposal to reform the liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland...

      Northern Ireland: Reform of Liquor Licensing Laws

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In the proposal document on reforming the liquor licensing laws in Northern Ireland in relation to licence surrender, what they mean by the words "in order to...

      Northern Ireland: Smoking in Public Places

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in relation to the proposed smoking ban for Northern Ireland, there have been consultations with the Irish Republic; if so, when; and between whom those...

      Northern Ireland: Task Force on Working Class Protestant Communities

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Who is on the Northern Ireland task force on working class Protestant communities; how, by whom and when the members were selected; and when the taskforce will report.

      Pension Contributions: Tax Relief

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What unified rate of tax relief on pension contributions would, in the absence of behavioural changes, be revenue neutral in comparison with the present different...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What arrangements exist for the transfer of serving police officers to the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and how many officers have been transferred in each...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the special arrangements for the recruitment of detectives to the Police Service of Northern Ireland announced by the then Security Minister Jane Kennedy...

      Railways Security Equipment Trial

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Who will fund the railways security equipment trial on the London Underground and surface railway.

      Secondary Schools: Admissions Policy

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, under new proposals for education in England, secondary schools will be able to determine their own admissions policy.

      Social Security Benefits: Wales

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Which 10 local authority areas in Wales have the most people in receipt of social security benefits; and which have the highest percentage of population in receipt...

      Strangford: Primary School Enrolment

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the enrolment at each (a) controlled; (b) maintained; and (c) integrated primary school in the constituency of Strangford; and what were the equivalent...

      Ulster-Scots Agency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: On what date the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure received an application from the Ulster-Scots Agency to employ a youth development...

      Ulster-Scots Agency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they supplied extra funding to the Ulster-Scots Agency to cover a shortfall in the agency's budget in 2004.

      Ulster-Scots Agency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether funding for the Ulster-Scots Agency is based on an indicative budget supplied by the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure; if so, what the agency...

      Ulster-Scots Language and Culture

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why they fund Irish language, culture and identity to a greater extent than Ulster-Scots culture and identity when the Belfast agreement of 1998 promised parity of...

      Waterways Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why presents were given to all members of staff from the chief executive in Waterways Ireland at Christmas 2002 and 2003; what were these presents; how much they...

      Waterways Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What properties owned or rented by Waterways Ireland are currently not used; and what is Waterways Ireland's policy for each of these properties.

      Waterways Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answers by the Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton on 21 July (WA 324) and the Lord Rooker on 2 November (WA 38), why the post of director of...

Beth yw hwn?

The parliamentary question is a great way for MPs and Peers to discover information which the government may not wish to reveal. Ministers reply via written answers, a list of which gets published daily.

We let you vote on whether or not the answer given is adequate.

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