Written answers

Thursday, 30 January 2003

  • Cabinet Office

    • Government Car Service

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether a Minister's spouse or partner may use a Government car for official engagements when not accompanied by the Minister.

    • Press Releases

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many press releases have been issued by his Department in each (a) year and (b) quarter from 1995–96 to 2002–03; and if he will make a...

      Public Appointments

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to extend the opportunities for members of the public to receive appointments to public bodies, task forces and ad hoc advisory committees.

      Publicity and Advertising

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising...

      Sickness Absence

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each year...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what level of funds unallocated to good causes has been held by each of the Lottery fund distributors in each of the past five years;...

    • National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the variation in expenditure relative to revenue received of the Lottery income distributing bodies; and...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received concerning the accountability of the Lottery Fund distributing bodies and their application...

      Sickness Absence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public...

      Tote

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to sell the Tote (a) to a racing trust to allow it to compete commercially with all long-term profits...

  • Defence

    • Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many helicopters are in service with (a) 847 NAS, (b) 846 NAS and (c) 845 NAS, and what the serviceability rate is of the aircraft of each squadron.

    • Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on British involvement in military strikes on targets in the Iraqi no-fly zones since 11 September 2001; what the cost of...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the impact of increasing the minimum wage (a) in line with average earnings, (b) to £4.17 per hour, (c) to £4.87 per hour,...

      Rifles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rifles have been supplied for use by (a) front-line troops and (b) support forces.

      SA-80 A2 Rifle

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops being deployed in the Gulf as part of Operation Telic are to be equipped with unmodified SA-80 A2 rifles.

      Service Personnel (Cancelled Holidays)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much compensation has been paid to service personnel for cancelled holidays in the past six months; and how many service personnel have been compensated.

      Services' Protective Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) gas masks and (b) protective suits have been issued to service personnel.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • EU Food Production

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the change in the amount of food which will be produced in the EU after the expansion of the...

    • Sugar Production

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she next expects to meet British Sugar to discuss the development of new technology in sugar beet refining.

      Horticulture

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government policy towards horticulture.

      Brown Trout

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what strategy has been in place during the past five years to combat the effects of water acidity upon stocks of native brown...

      Sewer Flooding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to tackle sewer flooding.

      Fishing Fleet

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the forthcoming expansion of the European Union on the economic viability of...

      Flooding (Insurance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to use money allocated to flood defence for self-help schemes aimed at securing insurance at reasonable...

      Hunting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the International Fund for Animal Welfare regarding hunting; and if she will make a statement.

      Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department has spent on advertising since its creation; and if she will make a statement.

      Alternative Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research has been carried out on the replacement of diesel with fuels based on sunflower or rapeseed; and what plans the...

      Animal Welfare Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the priorities are of her Department's research into animal welfare issues; and if she will make a statement.

      Early Retirement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much she expects her Department to spend on early retirement packages over the next five years; and how much her...

      Farm Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the current levels of farming incomes.

      Leadership Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the tests being applied to civil servants to evaluate them in the leadership review in her Department.

      Leadership Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cost savings she expects to make from the leadership review of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

      Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chief Executive of Network Rail about the environmental and health hazards posed by the...

      Publicity and Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) her Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department spent on (i)...

      Sewage Treatment Works

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects conclusions to be reached following the consultation on the control of odour nuisance from sewage treatment...

      Sickness Absence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was for her Department, its predecessors and each of its agencies and...

      Staff Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need to change the staffing complement in her Department working on (a) climate change,...

      Transport (Environmental Impacts)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport with regard to environmental impacts from transport.

      Water Framework Directive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the water framework directive is implemented to meet its deadlines.

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Human Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government are taking to address human trafficking in (a) Europe and (b) throughout the world.

    • Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have indicated that they will make a military contribution to the UN to enforce Resolution 1441, should the UN...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries have been invited to join a military coalition to deal with the problem of Iraq.

      Kosovo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he has received of (a) drug trafficking and (b) white slavery in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

      Kosovo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of the number of Serbs who have fled Kosovo since KFOR forces entered the province; and what his estimate...

      Kosovo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Orthodox churches in Kosovo have been destroyed since KFOR forces have been present in the Serbian province; and what...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the risk to the security of the UK posed by terrorist organisations based in Pakistan.

      Roma People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Governments of (a) the Czech Republic, (b) Hungary, (c) Romania and (d) Slovakia, on the...

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures are being taken to secure the release of the detainees: Sandy Mitchell, Les Walker, James Lee and James Cottel,...

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 14–15W, on Afghanistan, what consideration has been given to...

    • Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of (a) the New Partnership for African Development and (b) the Africa...

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress is being made with collection of data on the state of health in Angola.

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of people in Angola are suffering from (a) HIV/Aids and (b) malaria; and if she will make a statement.

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking in the development of local government in Angola; and if she will make a statement.

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of children in Angola are being educated to primary school standard; and if she will make a statement.

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken to retrain former military personnel in Angola.

      Angola

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action is being taken to ensure that revenue raised from the exploitation of natural resources in Angola is used for the...

      Child Soldiers

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) European, (b) British and (c) UN regulations prohibit the use of child soldiers in military forces.

      Child Soldiers

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what (a) discussions she has held and (b) action she has taken jointly with her counterparts in other countries to combat (i) the use...

      Europe Development Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the abolition of the Europe Development Council.

      Grants

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the grants funded by her Department for which individual members of the public and organisations may apply; and if she...

      HIV/AIDS

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures her Department is taking to ensure child participation in the development of policies and programmes on HIV/AIDS is in...

      Maternal Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the main causes of maternal mortality in developing countries.

      Mozambique

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 313W, on Mozambique, what the response has been to the Mozambiquan...

      Mugabe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with the French Government regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b) other...

      Mugabe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what discussions she has had with the Foreign Office regarding the renewal of the EU travel ban on (a) Robert Mugabe and (b)...

      Sickness Absence

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in her Department and each of its agencies and non-departmental public...

      Sierra Leone

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department has taken in response to the UN Secretary General's report to the Security Council on the UN mission in...

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of reports by UNICEF of the number of children unaccounted for in Northern Uganda.

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Northern Uganda; and if she will make a statement.

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what discussions she had with President Museveni on her recent trip to Uganda concerning Northern Uganda; (2) if she will make a...

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with President Museveni concerning possible peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with the Government of South Africa regarding food imports to Zimbabwe.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she is having with the Government of South Africa regarding the political situation in Zimbabwe.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her latest assessment is of the number of people facing food shortages in Zimbabwe.

  • Solicitor-General

    • Departmental Expenditure (Newsprint)

      To ask the Solicitor General what the total expenditure of her Department was on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002.

    • Eurobank

      To ask the Solicitor-General what costs have been incurred by her Department during and arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case; and if she will make a statement.

      R v. McKay

      To ask the Solicitor-General when she will provide a substantive reply to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight concerning R v. McKay.

      Theft/Fraud

      To ask the Solicitor-General what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002.

  • Trade and Industry

    • Agency Workers Directive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with her European counterparts concerning the agency workers directive; and if she will make a statement...

    • Alenia Marconi Systems

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export control licence applications were received from Alenia Marconi Systems in the last five years; and what was the outcome of each of...

      Call Centre Scripts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for North-East Derbyshire (Mr. Barnes), of 16 January, Official Report, column 806, if she will list...

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received about the practice of retentions in the construction industry; and if she will make a statement.

      Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals there are to extend anti-discrimination law to cover discrimination in employment and training on grounds of sexual orientation.

      Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 to allow unmarried partners to leave their pensions...

      Job Sharing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department.

      North Sea Oil

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the (a) size and (b) lifespan of the North Sea oil reserves.

      Nurse Co-ordinators

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance will be given to the proposed nurse co-ordinators on seeking consent from potential embryo donors under the new MRC initiative.

      Post Office Closures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) urban and (b) rural post offices have closed in Hull and the East Riding since 1 May 1997.

      Postage Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on recent consultations by Postcomm of a possible rise in the cost of postage.

      Renewable Energy Exporters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been received by potential renewable energy exporters for the £50 million in ECGD cover to be available from...

      Renewable Energy Exporters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the £50 million of ECGD cover to be allocated to renewable energy exporters from April 2003 will be available to exporters of...

      UK Economy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of the hon. Member for Edinburgh, South (Nigel Griffiths) to the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink), of 16...

  • Transport

    • Jones Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on (a) UK and (b) EU shipping of the United States Jones Act]

    • A14

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when the major A14 improvements included in the preferred plan of the Cambridge to Huntingdon multi-modal study will be entered into the trunk...

      External Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on external consultants since its creation; what percentage this sum represents of (a) his Department's total...

      London Underground PPP

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the (a) Tube Lines and (b) Metronet consortia have spent on bid costs as part of their PPP bids for London Underground projects.

      Motorway Tolls

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the introduction of motorway tolls, other than on the M6, on (a) reduction of congestion and (b)...

      Network Rail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much Network Rail has lost since its establishment.

      Publicity and Advertising

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii)...

      Publicity Campaigns

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what promotional and public information campaigns his Department is (a) running and (b) planning to run during the next six months; and for each...

      Railtrack (Administration)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much the Administration for Railtrack claimed in fees and expenses. (2) what the total cost was of administration for Railtrack.

      Regional Air Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport from which organisations and corporate entities he has received representations on the South East and East of England Regional Air Services study and...

      Road Building (Stonehenge)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to publish the draft orders relating to road construction at Stonehenge.

      Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost is of upgrading the power supply in Railtrack's southern zones to enable the comprehensive overhaul of current trains and...

      Strategic Rail Authority (Consultants)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 7 January, Official Report, column 108W, on Strategic Rail Authority (Consultants), (1) if he will make a statement on the...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of (a) terrorist activity and (b) suspected terrorist activity were recorded by (i) the Marine Accident Investigation Branch...

      Wapping Tube Station

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of Wapping tube station.

  • Treasury

    • Euro

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the governments of (a) Gibraltar, (b) Jersey, (c) Guernsey and (d) the Isle of Man regarding the Single European...

    • Euro

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target he has for the proportion of businesses which will be prepared for euro entry at the time of his Department's assessment on whether Britain...

      Euro

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when his Department next intends to conduct a survey of the proportion of businesses prepared for membership of the euro.

      Savings and Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what incentives he is putting in place to encourage young people to invest in (a) individual pension schemes and (b) individual savings accounts; and if he...

      Textile Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of staff made redundant in the textile industry between 1990 and 2000 found new employment; and in what sectors.

      Unemployment (Haltemprice and Howden)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were unemployed in Haltemprice and Howden in the last 13 months for which figures are available.

      Working Tax Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claim forms for (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit have so far (i) been issued and (ii) been returned.

      Accounting Practices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the powers and resources of the Financial Services Authority to investigate the accounting practices of companies.

      Annuities

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Financial Services Authority will add income drawdown schemes to the comparative tables that it plans to publish on annuities.

      Baby Expenses

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision is available for poorer families to assist with expenses incurred in the arrival of a new baby, with particular reference to the purchase of...

      Budget Changes

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the principal components of the changes in the budget of HM Treasury from 2002–03 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

      Business Investment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of business investment was in each quarter since 1997.

      Business Investment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the long-term effect of a drop in business investment on the (a) competitiveness, (b) productivity and (c) purchasing...

      Business Property Refit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the change in Government revenues from the abolition of Business Property Refit and Agricultural Property Refit; and if he will...

      Capital Gains Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in Government revenues from changing the capital gains tax regime simultaneously to abolish taper relief, reintroduce...

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met the Chief Executive of the Child Support Agency to discuss progress on county court judgments, committal proceedings and the...

      Civil Servants (Bonus Payments)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid in bonus payments to civil servants in 2001–02 related to performance in his Department.

      Clearing Banks

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to open (a) the banking money transmission service and (b) central clearing to all major clearing banks.

      Climate Change Levy

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what receipts he received during the fiscal year 2001–02 from companies subject to negotiated agreements under the Climate Change Levy.

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates the Inland Revenue has made of the costs of administering the Construction Industry Scheme (a) for the construction industry and (b) for the...

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when a decision will be taken on the future of the Construction Industry Scheme.

      Contingent Liabilities

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the Government's contingent liabilities; (2) if he intends to list the Government's contingent liabilities in his forthcoming Budget...

      Cooking Oil Fuels

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on paying duty on fuels made from cooking oil.

      Currency Instability

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the UK economy of the current relative instability of major international currencies.

      Earnings

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the house price to earnings ratio was for each year since 1978 in (a) England, (b) local authorities defined as rural and (c) by region.

      EU (Economic Reform)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 428W, on EU (economic reform), what discussions his Department has had with its European...

      EU Financial Market Liberalisation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department's plans for liberalisation of financial markets in the European Union, as set out in the Government's White Paper on European...

      Exempt Transfers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the number and (b) the value of potentially exempt transfers in the last year for which data is available; and if he will...

      HIPC Initiative

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, columns 54–55W, on the HIPC initiative, for what reasons figures for 2001 and 2002 on...

      HM Customs

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether it is the policy of HM Customs to withhold from the media details of seizures, arrests, and subsequent charges. (2) what gun and other...

      House Prices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average price of a house was in real terms in (a) England and (b) local authorities defined as rural, by region, in each year since 1978.

      Income Drawdown Policies

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many investors have taken out income drawdown policies in each year since their inception in 1995; (2) how many people in each of the last five...

      Income Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue gain from an income tax rate of (a) 42 per cent., (b) 44 per cent., (c) 45 per cent., (d) 48 per cent., (e) 50 per...

      Income Tax/National Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the average lifetime contributions in (a) Income Tax and (b) National Insurance of (i) university graduates and (ii) non-graduates.

      Industrial Action/Illness

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many working days have been lost in his Department and its predecessors due to (a) industrial action and (b) illness in each year since 1997.

      Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of unpaid volunteers involved in schemes funded by the landfill tax credit scheme.

      Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of private funds attracted by the public funds provided by the landfill tax credit scheme in each year since its...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) international and (b) domestic travel costs were of each Treasury Minister in each year since 2000.

      Mortgage Equity

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of mortgage equity withdrawal was in each quarter since 1997.

      Mortgage Equity

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has commissioned into the effect mortgage equity withdrawal has on the UK economy; and if he will make a statement.

      Public-Private Partnerships

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 21 November 2002, Official Report, column 280W, on PPP and PFI, what plans he has to review the system of assessing whether a PFI...

      Rebated Gas Oil

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 752W, on rebated gas oil, what criteria are used in determining whether red diesel can be...

      Stock Market

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of (a) business, (b) the insurance sector and (c) the pension fund sector on the value...

      Tax Harmonisation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he (a) has had and (b) intends to have with his European counterparts concerning harmonisation of VAT and corporation tax levels as a...

      Tobacco Smuggling

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 48W, on tobacco smuggling, when the Government expect to publish their response to the...

      Diversity Programme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of the HM Treasury (a) diversity action plan and (b) diversity programme in each year since 1997–98.

      Feedback Programme

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of the HM Treasury 360 degree feedback programme in each of the last three years; how many HM Treasury staff went on this programme; what...

      Staff (Pay)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the highest percentage pay rises were among HM Treasury staff in each year from 1997; which staff received these pay rises; and if he will make a statement.

      Staff (Pay)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the average percentage pay rise in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 for HM Treasury staff, broken down to show (i) all staff...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Family Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families had an income below £10,000 a year in each of the last five years.

    • Family Incomes (Warrington, North)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of families in Warrington, North whose family income is (a) less than £10,000, (b) between...

      Child Benefit Claims

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many child benefit claims have been received in (a) total and (b) via the electronic claim process since the launch of the child benefit...

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what changes he plans to make to the operation of the Child Support Agency; when those changes will come into effect; and if he will make a...

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what evaluation has been undertaken of the changes in the single room rent regulations of housing benefit; what the conclusion of that...

      Income Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of reducing or withdrawing income support from lone parent students prior to receipt of student loans...

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the impact on the level of benefit payments of setting the minimum wage for young people at (a) £4.17 per hour...

      Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to ensure that prisoners have immediate access to benefits and services provided by the Department on the point of...

      Private Pension Annuities

      Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received about allowing people with an occupational pension as well as a private pension not to...

  • Health

    • Ambulance Service (East Riding)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many fully operational ambulances were stationed at each of the ambulance stations in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each year since 1997.

    • Ambulance Service (East Riding)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list by postcode area in Haltemprice and Howden the response times for ambulances reacting to (a) Category A and (b) Category B calls,...

      Population Statistics (East Riding)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate how many children whose third birthday fell between 1 September 2002 and 31 December 2002 migrated into the East Riding of Yorkshire...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 11 December 2002 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. and Mrs. A...

      CT Scanner (Blackpool)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the steps that need to be taken before an additional CT scanner can be installed at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

      Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices are taking on new NHS patients in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes, (b) Grimsby, (c) Scunthorpe, (d) Brigg and Goole, (e)...

      Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists have retired in the past year in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes and (b) Grimsby.

      Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new dental practices taking NHS patients have opened in the constituencies of (a) Cleethorpes and (b) Grimsby since 1 January 2002.

      Dental Services (East Lincolnshire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with North East Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust about the provision of NHS dental treatment in (a) Grimsby and (b) Cleethorpes...

      Public Health Laboratory Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reference to 'key staff meltdown', experienced in PHLS in the report to the Steering Group of the HPA.

      Hull and East Riding Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money has been allocated to each of the Hull and East Riding hospitals for ward environment budgets each year since 1 October 2000; how much was...

      Neurological Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the transitional issues between child and adult and adult and older people's neurological services will be handled within the national service...

      Congenital Anomalies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the incidence of osteoglophonic dysplasia per thousand live births was (a) nationally, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the south of Solihull in each...

      Congenital Anomalies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the incidence of severe hypoplastic left heart syndrome per thousand live births was (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Solihull and (c) in the...

      Parkinson's Disease

      Mr. Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive about reducing waiting times to see a consultant about Parkinson's Disease.

      Protection of Children Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions he has taken to inform voluntary organisations of the scope of the Protection of Children Act 1999.

      Hospital Waiting Lists/Times

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust area were waiting for in-patient treatment on the latest available date.

      Hospital Waiting Lists/Times

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people waited 13 weeks or more for an out-patient appointment in Hull and the East Riding in each of the last three quarters for which figures...

  • Privy Council

    • Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the President of the Council what representations he has received about bringing forward proposals for making the rise of the House the time for the shuffle for oral questions; and if he...

    • Service Delivery Agreement

      Tony Wright: To ask the President of the Council when the Privy Council Office's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Local Authority Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to expand the use of Arms Length Management Organisations.

    • Business Co-ordination Unit

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many staff work for the Business Co-ordination Unit; how many worked for the unit in each year since it was formed; and what the running costs of the unit are...

      Deprivation Indices

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to ensure that the calculation of deprivation indices take account of local crime rates.

      Development Grants

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the projected total sum is in the United Kingdom of the (a) approved development programme and (b) Challenge Fund for (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04...

      Development Grants

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the proposed allocation within the regions of the UK is of the (a) Challenge Fund and (b) approved development programme for (i) 2002–03, (ii)...

      Electronic Government

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he intends to introduce an e-participation component as a requirement of Implementing Electronic Government statements.

      House Condition Survey

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the results of the 2001 English House Condition Survey.

      Affordable Housing (South-West)

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the aims are of the long-term housing allocation resource plans; what he estimates the effect will be on the division of resources for low-cost affordable...

      Right to Buy

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations have been carried out in determining the objective data from which the Government has derived the high demand indicator for the purposes of...

      Right to Buy

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the evidence he has collated that the Right to Buy has been abused in the borough of Christchurch.

      Right to Buy

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will extend beyond 5 February the deadline for responses from Christchurch Borough Council to his letter about right to buy discounts.

      Right to Buy

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the letters about reduction of right to buy discounts were despatched to (a) Christchurch Borough Council and (b) Twynham Housing Association.

      Housing Stock Transfers

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects to receive the National Audit Office report on council stock transfers; and whether his review of council housing finances will be published...

      Housing Corporation

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the annual Government funding to the Housing Corporation was in each year since 1991–92; what the projected annual Government funding for the Housing...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will (a) list and (b) quantify those factors in the local government finance formula which determined the increase proposed for (i) Berwick-on-Tweed Borough...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations in (i) East Sussex and (ii) Eastbourne relating to changes to grant distribution.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list by local authority the funding per head of population for social services departments under the terms of the provisional settlement for 2003–04.

      Public Toilets

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue guidelines to local authorities on the closure of public lavatories; and if he will commission research into the change in the number of public...

      Ordnance Survey

      Tony Wright: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the Ordnance Survey's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

      Travellers (Permanent Sites)

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what financial assistance will be given to local authorities for the remaining two months of the current financial year to establish permanent sites for...

  • Education

    • Access Regulator

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) annual budget and (b) powers of the proposed Access Regulator for higher education institutions will be; and if he will make a...

    • Arts and Humanities Research Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the (a) cost and (b) annual budget of the Arts and Humanities Research Council; and if he will make a statement.

      School Bullying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what requirement schools are under to record reported incidents of bullying.

      School Bullying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to collect centrally statistics on the rate of bullying in schools.

      School Bullying

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much Government expenditure was directed towards reducing the rate of bullying in schools in each of the last three years.

      Local Government Association

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when (a) he and (b) his predecessor last met representatives of the Local Government Association's Education Executive; and when he next...

      Schools (Counselling)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is provided for head teachers and governors on counselling in schools.

      Schools (Formula-funded Allocations)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list for each local education authority in England the amount of formula-funded allocations per pupil for (a) primary and (b)...

      Technical Craft Skills

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to increase the provision of technical craft skills training for (a) plumbing, (b) mechanics, (c) construction and...

  • Lord Chancellor

    • Justice Administration (Kent)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if she will make a statement on the proposals to create three benches of nearly 300 magistrates in Kent; (2) what...

    • Justice Administration (Kent)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment she has made of the financial implications of the recent proposals to reorganise the administration of justice in Kent.

  • Prime Minister

    • Asylum Induction Centre

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the correct...

    • Gun Crime

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban), Official Report, column 299, if he will make a statement on the reasons for the...

      Port Controls

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 295, what the evidential...

      Publicity and Advertising

      To ask the Prime Minister how much (a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) publicity and (ii) advertising in each year...

      Sickness Absence

      To ask the Prime Minister what the rate of staff (a) absenteeism and (b) sickness was in his Office in each year from 1990–91 to 2002–03; what the target set is for his Department;...

      Terrorist Suspects

      To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2003 to the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith), Official Report, column 294, what the evidential...

  • Home Department

    • Antisocial Behaviour Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the guidelines with regard to the protocols for attaching antisocial behaviour orders to criminal proceedings will be made available.

    • Arrests

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to the police about the publication of the names of persons arrested but not charged with criminal offences.

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether persons who fought against British and US troops in Afghanistan have (a) applied for and (b) been granted asylum; and if he will make...

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has introduced in order to improve the effectiveness of vetting asylum seekers for terrorist links.

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what counties a search is being conducted by his Department or its agencies for (a) accommodation centres and (b) induction centres for...

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanism is in place to track the place of residence in the UK of those who have sought asylum.

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Home Office will be placing asylum seekers in Quadrant House in Dunstable, Bedforshire.

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Afghan nationals claiming asylum in Britain have stated that they fought with the Taliban; and how many of these asylum claims have...

      Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Court of Appeal last set sentencing guidelines for benefit fraud; and if he will make a statement.

      Bioterrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration has been made for dealing with domestic pets in drawing up strategies to deal with bio-terrorist attacks.

      Crime and Disorder Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 will apply to (a) the Planning Bill, (b) the Licensing Bill and (c) the Local...

      Cumbria Crime Squad

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police hours were lost as a result of the inquiry into the Cumbria force crime squad.

      Domestic Violence (Merseyside)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic assault have been reported to Merseyside police authority in each year since 1996; how many and what percentage of...

      Domestic Violence (Merseyside)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of domestic violence were reported and how many lives domestic violence claimed in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South...

      Drink-driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many first time convictions for drink-driving resulted in custodial sentences in the last three years, broken down by police authority.

      Drug Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are under way in Hull and the East Riding to tackle drug abuse.

      Emergency Contingency Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the degree of preparedness of the Government for a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident.

      Entitlement Card Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been taken to ensure that responses to the consultation that are against the entitlement card are accurately recorded; and...

      Eurobank

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred by the (a) Home Office budget and (b) security services budget arising from the collapse of the Eurobank case;...

      Gwent Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from Gwent Police concerning its funding allocations for 2003–04.

      Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the cost is of placing an offender on the Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme; (2) whether the Intensive Supervision...

      Internet Child Pornography

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to relieve the backlog of cases concerning internet child pornography.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to intern Iraqi citizens in the UK, including asylum seekers, in the event of armed conflict with Saddam Hussein's regime;...

      Landlords (Prosecutions)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many landlords were prosecuted by their tenants for breach of contract in (a) 2002, (b) 2001 and (c) 2000.

      Lincolnshire Police Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convicted criminals in the Lincolnshire police authority area were re-offenders in each year from 1997 to 2002.

      Missing Persons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance his Department has given to the National Missing Persons Helpline in each year since 1997.

      Murders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many murders were committed between 1 April 1996 and 31 March 1999.

      Murders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been convicted of committing murders in each of the last 10 years.

      Official Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies was on official travelling in 2001–02.

      Overstayers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications under the Regulation of Overstayers scheme have been (a) received and (b) approved in each year since its inception;...

      Overstayers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to verify (a) the identity and (b) criminal record of applicants under the Regulation of Overstayers scheme.

      Police Authorities

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the membership and responsibilities of police authorities.

      Police Call-centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces in the United Kingdom rely on call-centres for handling telephone calls from the public; and if he will make a statement.

      Police Command Units

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the 30 basic command units are; and which 30 police stations dealt with the highest levels of (a) acquisitive crime and (b) crime by...

      Police Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many police officers in North Yorkshire he estimates are paid out of police grants, with particular reference to rural funding for...

      Police Helicopter Sorties

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police helicopter sorties were made in each of the last five years, broken down by police force; and what the annual cost was to...

      Police Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the numbers of police officers in North Yorkshire in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c)...

      Police Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers (a) are in service and (b) were in service in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2001 in Devon.

      Police Officer Numbers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues to police forces on the supply of information on officer numbers, with particular reference to the...

      Police Discipline

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police force area were disciplined for unauthorised disclosure of information to the media in the last year...

      Police Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he next expects to review the recruitment procedure for the police; and if he will make it his policy to re-examine the rule within the...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of police officers recruited in each year since 1990 were graduates.

      Preston Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will construct a hospital wing for Wymott and Garth, Preston prison.

      Prison Estates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) where maintenance of the streets, street-lighting, drainage and sewerage systems on the Parkhurst, Albany and Camp Hill prison estates...

      Prison Estates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his planning applications for the sites of the (a) Parkhurst, (b) Albany and (c) Camp Hill...

      Prison Places

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the number of available prison places; and if he will make a statement.

      Life Imprisonment

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been sentenced to life imprisonment under section 109 of the Powers of the Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in each...

      Racism Register

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if there is a register kept by (a) the Home Office and (b) the CRE of persons suspected of racism.

      Reconviction Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners released in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 were reconvicted within two years; and what his assessment is of...

      Reconviction Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of offenders completing community sentences in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 were reconvicted within two years; and what...

      Schools (Crime)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent study he has made into the level of crime in proximity to schools.

      Charity Commission

      Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Charity Commission's service delivery agreement for 2003 to 2006 will be published.

      Statistics (Publication)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) the British Crime Survey, (b) Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, (c) Prison Statistics, England and Wales, (d) Statistics on...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further measures have been put in place to protect potentially high-risk areas from terrorist attacks in the last 12 months.

      Thames Valley Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on retention in the Thames Valley police force.

      Tony Martin

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the findings of the recent Parole Board report on the case of Tony Martin, prisoner at HMP Highpoint.

      West Midlands Police Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the ethnic composition of the West Midlands Police Force was in each of the last five years.

      Women Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women serving prison sentences gave birth (a) in prison and (b) in hospital in each of the last five years; and how many were...

      Women Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women prisoners have children who are (a) under five years old and (b) under 18 months old.

  • House of Lords

    • Iraq: Call-out of Reservists

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have any plans to call out further reservists as part of their continuing contingency preparations for Iraq.

    • Legal Services Ombudsman

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What progress they are making with regard to the recruitment of the Legal Services Ombudsman.

      British Energy plc

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What estimates they have received from (a) Credit Suisse First Boston and (b) Slaughter and May of the fees they are likely to charge for advising them in relation...

      British Electricity (Trading and Transmission) Bill

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they will publish the draft Electricity (Trading and Transmission) Bill.

      Glyphosate Resistant Weeds

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will investigate the emergence of round-up resistant (glyphosate tolerant) weeds in the states of Delaware, Maryland, Western Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana...

      Scott Henderson Inquiry

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they support the conclusions of the 1951 Scott Henderson inquiry with particular regard to cruelty and suffering.

      Farm Income, Output and Productivity of Agriculture

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they will publish revised estimates of farm income, output and productivity of agriculture during 2002.

      Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the outcome of the meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council held on 3 December; and what the Government's stance was...

      Children's Interests

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will appoint a co-ordinator whose responsibility would be to promote children's interests across government departments.

      Languages Strategy

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What are their priorities for the allocation of public funds as between funding of initial teacher training primary places in (a) French (b) Spanish (c) German and...

      Languages Strategy

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 13 January (WA 24) what are their priorities for the allocation of public funds for each element...

      Advanced Teaching Assistants

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the anticipated cost of training advanced teaching assistants to qualify for supervising whole classes in school.

      Oxford and Cambridge Colleges

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will list (a) public Acts of Parliament and (b) private Acts of Parliament which would need to be amended or repealed if they were to attempt to end...

      Late Night Licences

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many late night licences have been withdrawn on evidence presented by the Metropolitan Police.

      Gambling Machine Payment Methods

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When passing legislation on the modernising of gambling machine payment methods, whether they will deregulate to allow the use of banknotes and prepaid smart cards...

      Amusement Arcade Machines

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why two types of amusement arcade machines, namely cranes and redemption, are included in the Government's definition of machines as Category D.

      Saville Inquiry

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many researchers and messengers are required by the legal teams which they are funding and who are attending the Bloody Sunday Inquiry; what are their...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland: Physical Fitness Requirements

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What were the original physical fitness requirements for all recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and What are the current physical fitness...

      Ards Hospital, Newtownards

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What proposals there are to make full use of the buildings and sites at Ards Hospital, Newtownards.

      Loughries and Whiterock, Killinchy: Sewage Disposal

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many additional homes can have their foul sewage connected to Loughries sewage works before it has reached full capacity; and What is the present system for...

      Newtownards: Road Construction

      asked Her Majesty's Government: (a) When they plan to construct the link road between Portaferry Road and Comber Road in Newtownards; and (b) what progress has been made to determine the planning...

      Parliamentary Network: e-mails

      asked the Chairman of Committees: Whether the filtering of e-mails by the Parliamentary Communications Directorate includes censorship of e-mails to and from Members of the House of Lords in line...

      Ayrshire and Arran: STIs

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many cases of (a) syphilis, (b) gonorrhoea and (c) chlamydia were recorded in Ayrshire and Arran in the last year for which figures are available; and what are...

      Trade in Services

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the response of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to the recent Department of Trade and Industry consultation, Liberalising Trade in Services; and...

      Immigration Removal Centres: Visiting Hours

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What are the visiting hours at each of the detention centres at which asylum applicants are detained.

      Yarl's Wood Detention Centre

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Who are the insurers of Yarl's Wood Detention Centre; what is the amount of the claim in respect of the fire which caused extensive damage on 14 February 2002;...

      Review of Police Shootings 1998–2001

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they will publish the Police Complaints Authority's Review of Shootings by Police in England and Wales between 1998 and 2001.

What is this?

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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