Written answers

Monday, 16 June 2003

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will list the average life expectancy in each year since 1999 for (a) women and (b) men in Afghanistan.

    • Agricultural Subsidies

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the relationship between agricultural subsidies, export guarantees and the...

      Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the people appointed to ad hoc posts within her Department bearing the titles of advocate, tsar, adviser, champion and...

      Commodities Markets

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what steps the Government are taking to alleviate the effect of the downturn in international commodities markets on (a)...

      General Agreement on Trade in Services

      To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development if he will make a statement regarding the GATS negotiations; and what assessment he has made of the benefits of full trade...

      General Agreement on Trade in Services

      To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development what assessment the Department has made of the impact of service liberalisation.

      Iraq

      To ask the Minister of State Department for International Development what estimates he has received from (a) UNMAS and (b) other sources on the number of (i) airborne and (ii) ground launched...

      Official Spelling

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development if he will make it his policy that official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the...

      Race Relations

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what progress has been made in his Department and non-departmental public bodies on implementing the requirements of the...

      Widows

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what financial assistance the Department is providing to projects to help widows in (a) Afghanistan, (b) Iraq, (c) Nigeria...

      Widows

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance the Department is providing (a) directly, (b) through its partner organisations and (c) through NGOs to...

      World Trade Conference, Cancun

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assessment he has made of the possible benefits for developing countries resulting from the Fifth World Trade...

  • House of Commons

    • Postal Service

      To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee what progress the Committee has made with examining the question of the time limit for collecting hon. Members' post for delivery the following day.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Environmental Liability Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the placing on businesses of a requirement for compulsory environmental liability insurance; and if she...

    • Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff have been employed in the Ministerial Correspondence Unit of the Department in each of the last two years.

      Departmental Agriculture Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the number of whole-time equivalent staff dedicated to agriculture in her Department.

      Disease Risk Insurance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement of her Department's policy towards compulsory disease risk insurance for farmers.

      Farms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the viability and number of farm business tenancies.

      Local Food Initiatives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on help available to those wishing to develop local food chains or food links, with particular...

      Foot and Mouth

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when foot and mouth disease simulation exercises have taken place in each animal health divisional office area in each of the...

      Illegal Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 4 June 2003, ref 116075, what quantities of animal and plant products she estimates have been...

      Live Animal Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that animals which are unfit for transport are not exported from the UK; and if she will...

      Mersey Forest Project

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of the contribution made by the Mersey Forest Project to (a) attracting new businesses and...

      Mersey Forest Project

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements she intends to put in place for the continued funding of the Mersey Forest Project after 2005; and if she...

      On-farm Storage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what regulations there are on the on-farm storage of foodstuffs near to animal by-products.

      Pay Audits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on completing a pay audit in her Department and its non-departmental public bodies to measure any...

      "Pub is the Hub"

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding was (a) available and (b) spent on "Pub is the Hub" schemes in each of the last four years.

      Volatile Organic Compounds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the environmental impact arising from (a) paints containing a high amount of volatile...

      Volatile Organic Compounds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research she has conducted into the environmental impact of spray furniture polish; and if she will make a statement.

      Supermarkets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had and representations she has received on take-over proposals in the supermarket industry,...

      West African Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to encourage a sustainable EU policy towards the exploitation of West African fish stocks through...

  • Transport

    • Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to make using British ports more attractive to merchant shipping.

    • Ports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what financial assistance has been given to the British ports sector since 1997 to improve services; and if he will make a statement on proposals to...

      Departmental Website

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what actions he has taken or is taking to ensure that the websites of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are accessible to...

      Air Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many responses had been received as of 31 May in response to (a) the consultation document, "Future Development of Air Transport in the United...

      Air Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many copies of the (a) main document and (b) summary of the consultation documents (i) "Future Development of Air Transport in the United...

      Air Transport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to his Department has been of (a) the exhibitions promoting the consultation documents on the "Future Development of Air Transport in the...

      Airline Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress has been made in implementing the Wheeler Report on airline security, with specific reference to the concept of sky marshals.

      Airport Consultation (Midlands)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide guidance to under 16-year-old consultees wishing to respond to the airport consultation process for the midlands; and for what...

      Asbestos

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the actions his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are taking to comply with the requirements of the Control...

      Warsaw Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which airlines flying into and out of the UK have (a) fully waived, (b) partially waived and (c) not waived their rights under the Warsaw Convention to...

      Warsaw Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress of reform of the Athens Convention.

      Energy Efficiency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the targets he has set to improve energy efficiency within his Department; and what steps are being taken to achieve these targets.

      Mail Transportation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) Royal Mail and (b) EWS concerning the transport of mail by rail.

      Marine Accident and Investigation Branch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Marine Accident and Investigation Branch reports have been published in each year since 1998.

      Marine Accident and Investigation Branch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to release the Marine Accident and Investigation Branch report into the sinking of the Solway Harvester.

      Marine Accident and Investigation Branch

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met Isle of Man police to discuss the timing of the Marine Accident and Investigation Branch report into the sinking of the Solway Harvester.

      Mersey Tunnels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when in each of the last 10 years he received the accounts of income and expenditure of the Mersey tunnels.

      Mersey Tunnels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the extent to which central Government funds given to the Mersey Tunnels have been spent on (a) the Mersey Ferries and...

      Mobile Phones

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned into the number of deaths caused by drivers using mobile phones in England in each of the last five years.

      Multi-modal Studies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of (a) the expected travel time savings for (i) public transport users and (ii) motorists and (b) the expected effect upon...

      Multi-modal Studies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the advice he has received from (a) the Countryside Agency, (b) the Environment Agency, (c) English Heritage and (d)...

      Multi-modal Studies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a statement on his decisions regarding the outstanding multi-modal studies.

      National Air Traffic Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received from airline companies about National Air Traffic Services' performance; and if he will make a statement.

      Number Plate Cloning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport further to his answer of 9 June 2003, Official Report, column 594W, what discussions he has had with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency concerning...

      Official Spelling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words...

      Partnership Agreements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in his Department.

      Pensioners (Free Travel)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on reducing travel costs for pensioners.

      Race Relations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in his Department and non departmental public bodies on implementing the requirements of the Race Relations Amendment Act...

      Rail Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he plans to review the future of the Stranraer to Glasgow rail link south of Girvan.

      Rail Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to review the case for a mainline railway station at Cairnryan.

      Road Building

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from the Civil Engineering Contractors' Association about new road building projects.

      Road Building

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the level of Government spending needed to complete the road network consisting of the A6 bypass, Poynton bypass, and...

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Government have to introduce a speed hierarchy for rural roads; and if he will make a statement.

      South Coast Multi-modal Study

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make a statement on the south coast multi-modal study report.

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras were in use in each of the last five years broken down by (a) fixed and (b) mobile cameras and by police authority.

      Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment is made (a) of the environmental impact and (b) against sustainable development criteria of bids for (i) grants and (ii) contracts...

      Transport (North Staffordshire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with (a) Advantage West Midland and (b) the Government Office for the West Midlands on transport provision in North...

      Transport and Social Exclusion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans his Department has made for the implementation of accessibility planning promoted in the Special Exclusion Unit's report 'Making the...

      Transport and Social Exclusion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the dissemination of the findings of the Social Exclusion Unit's February 2003 report, "Making Connections: Transport and Social...

      Transport Policies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what strategy he uses to disseminate good practice in the areas of (a) public consultation, (b) design, (c) implementation, (d) maintenance and (e)...

      Vehicle Excise Duty (Scotland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many instances there were of vehicle excise duty evasion in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997.

      Vehicle Excise Duty (Scotland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the cost of vehicle excise duty evasion in Scotland, broken down by local authority, in each year since 1997.

  • Home Department

    • Restorative Justice

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to extend the use of restorative justice with special reference to mediation and reparation.

    • Anti-social Behaviour

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on combating anti-social behaviour.

      Anti-social Behaviour

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the attitude of magistrates to breaches of Anti-social Behaviour Orders.

      Drug Dealing

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that properties which have been taken over by Class A drug dealers are quickly closed. Question number missing in...

      Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the operation of section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Chief Inspector of Prisons to discuss prison overcrowding; and what the results of the discussions were.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many safe cells were installed in prisons in the past 12 months; and how many are planned to be installed in the next 12 months.

      Extradition (United States)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the extradition treaty signed with the United States on 31 March.

      Crack Cocaine

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to help communities which are affected by crack cocaine.

      EU Constitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the implications of the draft EU constitution for matters within his responsibilities.

      Cannabis

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what changes he estimates there will be in police expenditure in the next financial year following the reclassification of cannabis.

      Identity Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation he has had with the secretaries of the National Assembly for Wales regarding the UK-wide identity card.

      Crime Statistics (London)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of crime in (a) the London Borough of Havering and (b) other London boroughs.

      Intelligence Sources

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of the Blelloch Report on the handling of intelligence sources in the Library.

      Justice and Home Affairs Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held on 8 May; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed,...

      Meat Imports

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what tonnage of legally imported meat was imported to the UK from (a) France, (b) Argentina and (c) Uruguay in 2002.

  • Treasury

    • Cash Machines (Charges)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission an assessment of the impact fee-charging cash machines have on those on low incomes.

    • Cash Machines (Charges)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will regulate fee-charging for ATM withdrawals.

      Child Tax Credit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of eligible families are in receipt of child tax credit.

      Heroin

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of the UK heroin trade which originated in Afghanistan in each of the last 10 years.

      Mortgage Interest Relief

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to revise the regulations governing mortgage interest relief for people who took out a mortgage prior to October 1995 but have since...

      Terrorism

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on (a) progress made and (b) measures yet to be achieved in attaining satisfactory collaboration from (i) the banking and...

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax returns based upon the CIS4 scheme were received for the tax years (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the loss to the National Insurance Fund resulting from wrongly defined self-employment in the construction industry in each...

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many CIS4 cards have been issued in each tax year since the inception of the scheme.

      Crown Estate

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many media officers have been employed by the Crown Estate in each year since 1985.

      Dover Harbour Board

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the borrowing authorisation of £50.4 million of the Dover Harbour Board is included in the Government's PSBR; and if he will make a...

      Euro

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his reasons are for deciding that it is not necessary to rejoin the ERM before joining the euro.

      Higher Rate Taxpayers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the population liable for tax in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, South constituency and (b) Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority are (i) higher rate...

      Inland Revenue (Technology Systems)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps have been taken since the Government's response to the Committee of Public Accounts' 38th Report of Session 2001–02, to encourage...

      National Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) total reserves and (b) national insurance contributions were in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 2003–04.

      Official Spelling

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that all official (a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words...

      Personal Debt

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce the level of personal debt within the UK.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to advertise (a) the changes in the system for claiming for housing and council tax benefit, (b) the loss of the automatic right to help...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions he plans to ensure that working tax credit continues to be paid without interruption to the father of dependent children when his wife dies.

      Thalidomide Trust

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with (a) Diageo and (b) the Thalidomide Trust about the funding of the Trust; and if he will make a statement.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Amateur Sports Clubs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been provided in funding to community amateur sports clubs since July 2002, broken down by (a) region and (b) sport.

    • Community Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make it her policy to allow the Community Fund to support organisations that are neither registered charities nor...

      Cultural Events

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which large cultural events staged by ethnic minority organisations were supported financially by her Department and its...

      Local Authority Sports Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the impact of the change in local authority expenditure on sport and physical recreation from 1998 to 2002.

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations her Department has received from Sport England about a reallocation of lottery funds from the New Opportunities...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) budget allocated for playing fields, (b) amount spent on playing fields and (c) new playing fields created by...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the (a) budget allocated, (b) amount spent and (c) projects funded by the (i) Space for Sport and the Arts project and...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the forced repatriation of Afghans from Pakistan.

    • EU Directives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations originating from EU directives have been introduced in each of the last five years.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to ensure that water and electricity supplies and essential public services in Iraq have been maintained.

      Lord Ashcroft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the costs to be borne by Her Majesty's Government for the settlement of the case conducted by Lord...

      Colin Berry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Afghan authorities concerning Mr. Colin Berry, a constituent.

      Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which overseas territories are in the process of revising their constitutions and, in each case, what the anticipated timescale...

      Overseas Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many children residing in the Turks and Caicos Islands are not receiving full-time education; and what action the Government...

      UN Special Committee on Decolonisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what involvement the United Kingdom Government had in the UN's Special Committee on Decolonisation's conference Advancing the...

      Visas (Syria)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visas were issued at the British Embassy in Syria in each of the last three years to (a) people seeking political...

  • Trade and Industry

    • Arms Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what intelligence gathering mechanism she has for determining the bona fides of arms dealers and purchasers.

    • Arms Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the research which she has commissioned on US end-user monitoring and controls, with special reference to the...

      Broadband

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the progress of rolling out broadband internet coverage in East Sussex.

      Construction Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were (a) employed and (b) self-employed in the construction industry in England and Wales in (i) 1973, (ii) 1978, (iii) 1983,...

      Energy Efficiency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets her Department has for improving energy efficiency; and how she intends to achieve these targets.

      Post Office

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to transfer responsibilities for Government activities to the post office.

      Post Office

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she or her Ministers have received documents issued by Royal Mail relating to (a) bonuses and (b) incentives for post office managers...

      Post Office

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on European Commission state aid approval for the subsidy for rural post offices.

      Postage Stamps (Discounted Sales)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what conditions supermarkets may sell postage stamps at less than their face value.

      Postwatch Scotland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the process for appointments to the Postwatch Scotland Committee.

      Trade Tariffs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what trade tariffs and restrictions are placed on UK exports to non-EU countries owing to European Union legislation.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Pay Audits

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made on completing a pay audit in his Department and its non-departmental public bodies to measure any disadvantage in terms of...

    • Playing Fields

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Government have strategy for the (a) management and (b) disposal of playing fields owned by Government departments.

  • Defence

    • A400m

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why he appointed OCCAR to enter into the contract for A400M aircraft on behalf of the United Kingdom; what direct control and influence he will exercise...

    • Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what delays have occurred so far in the aircraft carrier programme: what recent discussions his Department has held with BAE and Thales; and whether he...

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which parts of the aircraft carriers being built under the future aircraft carrier project will be built in foreign shipyards; and if he will make a...

      Armed Forces Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether funding for the armed forces is determined by the planned number of servicemen; and what the impact on funding is of a shortfall in the number...

      Cluster Munitions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent independent evidence has been gathered by his Department on failure rates of cluster munitions; (2) what target his Department has set...

      Departmental Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will state in cash terms the (a) provision and (b) outturn for each of his Department's agencies since financial year 1997–98.

      Desert Combat Clothing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what orders have been given to the Reserve Training and Mobilisation Centre at Chilwell for the withdrawal and then re-issue of desert combat clothing;...

      Hovercraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when hovercraft were last used in military operations by British forces and in what way; and if he will make a statement on hovercraft capability;...

      Hovercraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research has been undertaken in developing the hovercraft; and what finance was allocated to this research.

      Hovercraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations have been made by (a) private developers and (b) British forces representatives about the military use of hovercraft; and what...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the cost of the war in Iraq.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for International Development and (b) the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cluster bombs were used by British forces during the recent campaign in Iraq; and what assessment he has made of the number of unexploded...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a programme for the removal of landmines in Iraq.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the number of Iraqis who died in the recent conflict in that country, broken down by (a) military personnel and (b) civilians.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what efforts are being made to protect citizens in Iraq from (a) entering the areas where unexploded bomblets are and (b) tampering with them.

      RAF (Gulf Commitment)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the commitment of RAF aircraft and personnel to operations in the Gulf region; and if he will make a statement.

      Royal Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have visited Spanish ports in each of the past two years; and which ports were visited.

      Royal Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels have visited Gibraltar since 1 January 2001.

      Royal Navy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy ships are in dry docks.

      Sri Lanka

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the meetings held between his Department and the Sri Lankan Government in each of the past five years.

  • Education and Skills

    • Teachers' Dress

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will issue guidance on suitable dress for teachers.

  • Minister for Women

    • Female GPs

      To ask the Minister for Women what action she has taken to ensure equality in the proportion of female GPs to male GPs in partnerships.

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Conditional Fee Agreement

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the benefits to the public of the new form of conditional fee agreement introduced by his...

    • Publicly Funded Legal Work

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many firms were franchised to carry out publicly funded legal work in 2000; and what the most recent corresponding...

  • Lord Chancellor

    • Probate Office

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment the Department has made of the effect on the workload of the Probate Office of wills being executed without...

    • Administration Orders

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the amendments set out in section 13 of the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 allowing wider use of Administration Orders at...

      Lawyers Establishment Directive

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on what date each member of the European Union implemented the Lawyers Establishment Directive 98/5/EC; and what representations...

  • Prime Minister

    • EU Constitution White Paper

      To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to publish a White Paper on the EU constitution, setting out the Government's response to its proposals.

    • G8 Summit

      To ask the Prime Minister what measures are in place to ensure that the pledges made at the G8 summit are implemented.

      G8 Summit

      To ask the Prime Minister what decisions were taken at the recent G8 Summit (a) to facilitate the transfer of technology to tackle HIV and (b) to improve water supplies in the developing world.

      Honours

      To ask the Prime Minister how many residents of Thurrock have been awarded (a) OBEs and (b) CBEs in the past five years; and if he will make a statement.

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister whether he has received a copy of the September 2002 report by the Pentagon Defense Intelligence Agency on Iraq's military capabilities.

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister if the Government will publish an account of the crimes against humanity carried out by the last regime in Iraq.

      Pharmaceutical Products

      To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the impact on African development of the United States' decision not to relax the rules on pharmaceutical patents; and what discussions he...

      Subsidised Farm Exports

      To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the French President about his proposal to halt the export of subsidised European and American farm products to Africa.

  • Health

    • Agency Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hours were worked by agency nurses in the last week of September 2002, broken down by payscale.

    • Ambulances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many ambulance service vehicle road accidents there were in (a) England, (b) each NHS region and (c) each strategic health authority in each year...

      Consultant Neurologists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting times are for follow-up appointments for consultant neurologists, broken down by Strategic Health Authority

      Departmental Website

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what actions he has taken or is taking to ensure that the websites of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are accessible to...

      Elderly People (Tooting)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on funding for care of the elderly living in the Tooting constituency.

      Foundation Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the Department is intending to remove the funding advantages that would be given to foundation hospitals in the south east, and other areas of high...

      Foundation Hospitals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect on recruitment in the NHS in Wales of the establishment of foundation hospitals in England adjacent to...

      Health Care Inequalities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of inequality in healthcare provision.

      Medical Treatment Overseas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) men and (b) women living in England and Wales have travelled to another European country for medical treatment during the last 12 months.

      NHS Redundancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in the NHS in the last two financial years have been made redundant with redundancy packages valued at (a) £50,000 to £100,000;...

      NHS Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the NHS categorises administrative staff; (2) how many (a) painters, (b) gardeners and (c) administrative staff the NHS employs.

      Non-NHS Medical Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on non-NHS medical staff in (a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each of the last six years; and if he will make a...

      Overseas Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of overseas nurses his Department plans to recruit to diagnostic treatment centres.

      Paediatricians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trained paediatric consultants work in the NHS.

      Paediatricians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatrically trained doctors working in the NHS there are per head of population.

      Paediatric Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many nurses with specialist qualifications in paediatric medicine are working in the NHS; (2) how many NHS nurses with specialist...

      Primary Care Resources

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is proposing to ensure that all primary care resources allocated to PCTs are passed to front line patient care providers.

      Primary Care Trusts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when setting weighted capitation targets for resource allocation to primary care trusts, what account is taken of the unavoidable geographical variations...

      Rheumatoid Arthritis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many numbered training places were available for trainee consultants specialising in rheumatoid arthritis in each of the last five years; and if he...

      School Nurses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many school nurses there were in each year since 1997.

      Somali People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimates he has made of the number of Somali-speaking people who are (a) registered with GPs in each London health district and (b) the number who...

      St. George's, Tooting

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has given to St. George's Hospital NHS Trust, Tooting since May 1997.

      Theft (Hospitals)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many instances of theft from corpses in NHS hospitals were recorded in each of the last five years for which there are records.

      Private Hospital Invoices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how invoices for operations carried out in private hospitals are raised.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Attacks on Politicians

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the attacks on (a) the person and (b) the property of those involved in democratic politics in Northern Ireland since 1 January,...

    • Call Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what financial incentives have been made available by Government agencies to businesses wishing to establish call centres in the Belfast area;...

      Call Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many call centres have been established in Northern Ireland with Government financial assistance; at what location; and how many jobs have...

      Castlereagh Break-in

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will make a statement on the findings of the Chilcot Report into the break-in at Police Special Branch Castlereagh station on 17 March 2002.

      CCTV

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what public funding is available to extend the coverage of the CCTV network within (a) Belfast City Centre and (b) other parts of the South...

      Crime/Drug Addiction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment has been made of the link between crime and drug addiction in Northern Ireland.

      Ex-prisoner Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding bodies have responsibility for allocating funds to groups and organisations dealing with ex-prisoner issues; how much each such...

      Garda Siochana Uniform

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the Garda Siochana uniform was placed in the display cabinet in the foyer of Garnerville PSNI station; what articles were removed...

      Interface Conflict

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his definition is of (a) a security response and (b) a community safety initiative in the context of dealing with interface conflict in...

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are employed by Invest Northern Ireland.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assistance Invest Northern Ireland has given in the past year to existing businesses in North Belfast to enable them to remain viable.

      Judicial Oversight Commissioner

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress made in appointing a judicial oversight commissioner for Northern Ireland.

      National Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated cost is in 2003–04 to his Department, agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible of...

      Northern Ireland Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much each Government Department of the Northern Ireland Assembly has spent on consultations arising from section 75 of the Northern Ireland...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what independent evaluation has been made of PSNI training procedures; what criteria has been used to judge their effectiveness; and what plans...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications were received for the new position of civilian director of training for the PSNI; how many applicants were interviewed and...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many external tutors and organisations are involved in the training of PSNI recruits and staff: what his estimate is of expenditure in this...

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tutors involved in the training of PSNI recruits and staff have been (a) suspended and (b) removed from their posts in the last two years.

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures have been taken to submit PSNI training procedures to public consultation.

      Police Service of Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures have been taken to ensure that community awareness training is developed and integrated into all aspects of PSNI training.

      President Bush (Visit)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total costs associated with the recent visit of President Bush to Hillsborough, County Down were.

      Public Service Agreement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of the...

      Public Service Agreement

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Department has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds.

      Road Obstructions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons received summonses for obstructing free passage along a road without lawful authority or reasonable excuse arising from (a) the...

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his policy is on the use of covert fixed cameras to detect speeding motorists; and whether the presence of such cameras must be notified to...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Councillors' Allowances

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was paid in attendance allowances to local authority councillors in England in each of the last 10 financial years; and how much he estimates will be...

    • Arson

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what target the Government have set to reduce the number of malicious fires relating to school premises; when the target was set; and if he will make a statement.

      Arson

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many malicious fires relating to school premises there were in each year since 1997, in each fire brigade area across England and Wales.

      Fire Safety Legislation

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work being carried out by his Department to rationalise fire safety legislation; and if he will make a statement.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what evidence he has collated of cost differences between Worcestershire and Warwickshire when credit approvals are given for capital allocations.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what size of shire county he estimates is sufficient to produce reliable statistics for the calculation of the labour cost adjustment made by his Department.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he received from Berkshire county council about area cost adjustment.

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what assessment he has made of (a) the impact of allocating additional resources to (i) Warwickshire, (ii) Gloucestershire, (iii) Birmingham and (iv) Dudley...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what plans he has to treat Worcestershire and Herefordshire as separate counties for the purpose of calculating area cost adjustment; (2) what plans he has...

      School Funding

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what modelling was done by his Department to test the new funding system for local authorities and schools with particular reference to its impact at individual...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans his Department has to ensure that people with autism spectrum disorders can obtain the full range of disability benefits.

    • Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases were dealt with by the Child Support Agency in each of the last five years in (a) Leeds Metropolitan District and (b) the Leeds,...

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methods are employed by the Child Support Agency to recover arrears of child maintenance by absent self-employed parents.

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what enforcement action is being taken against Graham Edward Morris in respect of maintenance arrears due to Deidre Hilder, a constituent.

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will recommend to the Child Support Agency that an advance payment is made to Deidre Hilder in respect of arrears due to her.

      Partnership Agreements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in his Department.

      Pathway Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where within Essex he is establishing Pathway Centres to assist persons with health problems and disabilities to find work; what the purpose...

      Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average pensioner income levels have been in each of the last 10 years.

      Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of regional variations in pensioner poverty.

      Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners will benefit from the pension credit in Scotland, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

      Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland are in receipt of the minimum income guarantee, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary constituency.

      Pensioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Scotland are in receipt of the pension age addition, broken down by (a) local authority and (b) parliamentary...

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the working population have no private pension provision.

      Personnel Issues

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees have been seconded from Capita to the Department and its predecessors since 1997; for how long they worked in the...

      Single Equality Body

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what assessment he has made of the benefits of a federal model for the Single Equality Body for promoting equality and fairness for...

      Social Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Social Fund claims there were in each (a) region and (b) nation of the UK since 1996; and how many were successful.

      Social Security Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were (a) cautioned and (b) prosecuted for social security fraud in each year since 2000; how much was involved; what were the...

      Whistleblowers Hotline

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been made to the Department's Whistleblowers Hotline in each year since its introduction, broken down by category; and what...

      Winter Fuel Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Scotland received the winter fuel allowance for the 2002–03 winter, broken down by (a) local authority and (b)...

  • House of Lords

    • North/South Implementation Bodies: Budgets

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 2 April (WA 132) concerning the budgets for the North/South Implementation Bodies: (a) whether in each case...

    • North/South Implementation Bodies: Budgets

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 2 April (WA 132) concerning Cross-Border Implementation Bodies, on what date the budget for 2003 was agreed...

      North/South Implementation Bodies: Budgets

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In connection with the North/South decision making process, whether they will lodge all papers relating to the setting of implementation bodies' budgets for 2003...

      North/South Joint Secretariat

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What machinery exists to evaluate the working and cost-effectiveness of the North/South Secretariat in Armagh.

      Language Implementation Body

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the activity since 1999 of the two sections of the Language Implementation Body is satisfactory; whether they have received representations from the...

      Waterways Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 2 April (WA 132) concerning expenditure by Waterways Ireland, whether the contribution to the body's...

      Ulster Scots and Irish Languages

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 21 May (WA 79) concerning the status of Irish and Ulster Scots, whether the Belfast Agreement of 1998...

      Peace II Funding

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Privy Seal on 21 May (WA 87) concerning the Peace II grant scheme, how the application of Section 75 of the Northern...

      Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure: Budget

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the budget allocation for the Northern Ireland Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure for 2003–04; and what percentage difference there is compared...

      Iraq: Humanitarian Situation

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the humanitarian situation in Iraq.

      Convention on the Future of Europe

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will hold an event to consider the Convention on the Future of Europe.

      Tenancy Money

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they intend to announce their conclusions following the consultation on Tenancy Money; Probity and Protection.

      Veterinary Medicines

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What further representations the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has received from the president of the British Veterinary Association regarding the...

      Employment Act 2002

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether draft regulations have been produced concerning the provisions on disciplinary and grievance procedures in the Employment Act 2002; whether these drafts...

      North West Science and Daresbury Development Group

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Which schemes that were identified in the review of spending on scientific projects in the north-west of England by the Byers committee have been implemented; and...

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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