Written answers

Thursday, 12 February 2004

  • Wales

    • Devolution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost to public funds of setting up devolved government in Wales was.

    • Farm Incomes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the average farm income was in Wales, broken down by (a) constituency and (b) local authority area for each year since 1997.

      Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department have been (a) suspended, (b) dismissed, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted for involvement in benefit fraud in each of the...

      Dee Cockle Regulation Order

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he has planned discussions with the First Minister of the National Assembly with regard to hastening progress towards the implementation of the Dee...

      Department Branding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department and its predecessors spent on branding the Department between 1997–98 and 2003–04, broken down by (a) consultancy fees,...

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether it is his policy that the Higher Education Bill should exempt English students studying in higher education institutions in Wales from payment of...

      Miners' Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the most recent figure is for sums paid for compensation in (a) final and (b) interim settlements to sick miners in Wales, their widows or families...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many visits he has made to (a) prisons, (b) police forces, (c) young offenders' institutions and (d) drug rehabilitation centres in Wales since October...

  • Treasury

    • Benefit/Tax Credit Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out the (a) benefit and (b) tax credit expenditure in the UK for each year since 1996–97, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by (A)...

    • Block Grant

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Scottish Executive regarding the apportionment of the block grant.

      Carbon Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to bring forward proposals for a carbon tax to replace existing levies.

      Civil Servants

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the figures...

      Customs and Excise

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking in relation to Customs and Excise following the most recent developments in the London City Bond and Operation Puma cases, with...

      Department Branding

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department spent on branding the Department, broken down by (a) consultancy fees, (b) design and orders for new stationery between...

      EU Committees

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) duties and (b) immediate work programme of each Lamfalussy committee are; and what the United Kingdom representation on each committee is.

      European Institutions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross UK contribution to the (a) EU and (b) European institutions was in each of the last five years.

      European Institutions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the gross EU funding to the UK for (a) the Common Agricultural Policy, (b) regional funding and (c) other allocations was in each of the last five years.

      Excise Duty Fraud

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the terms of reference of the independent review of excise duty fraud levels; and when the review will be concluded.

      Invest to Save

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations have bid successfully for the Invest to Save Budget since it began; and how much each received.

      Ivory

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe), of 6 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1082–83W,...

      Ivory

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the combined weight of ivory and ivory products seized by HM Customs and Excise was in each of the last five years.

      Large Business Office

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, columns 934–35W, on future tax yield, what design methodology was used to produce the...

      Mineworkers Pension Fund

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in receipt of a pension from the Mineworkers Pension Fund are taxed on it; and what the tax take from fund pensions has been to date.

      Ministerial Directions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all ministerial directions since financial year 1997–98.

      Small Business Taxation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that measures which will be introduced in the 2004–05 Finance Bill affecting the taxation of small businesses (a) reflect the...

      Stamp Duty

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money he estimates would be lost in revenue if (a) the 1 per cent. level of stamp duty for properties between £60,001 and £250,000 and...

      Stamp Duty

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much stamp duty was paid in each of the last five years. [R]

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether existing tax credit claimants responding to the Department's request for information needed to finalise 2003–04 awards and, if appropriate,...

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Animal By-Products Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what advice she has issued to intermediate reception centres on the definition of covered space to receive animal...

    • Animal By-Products Regulation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received about the effect of the Animal By-Products Regulations on small abattoirs.

      Animal Welfare (Wales)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent (a) representations and (b) proposals she has received from the National Assembly for Wales Government regarding...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what specific characteristics are exhibited by badger groups under population stress; (2) what the effects of...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether domestic cats are susceptible to infection by M. bovis bacillus; whether any such infections have been recorded; and...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are taken by her Department to ensure that guidelines on testing badgers for M. bovis infection before release...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of whether infection of M. bovis bacillus between infectious female badgers and their offspring...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the accuracy of the size of the badger population in Great Britain as reported by the...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) proportion of adult badgers in Great Britain currently infected with M. bovis...

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what grounds legal protection has been afforded to badgers.

      Bovine TB

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the limiting factors are on the size of the badger population in the United Kingdom in the absence of predation and...

      Departmental Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members of (a) the Environment Agency Board, (b) the Farm Animal Welfare Council, (c) the Food Advisory Committee,...

      Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are being taken to deter fishermen from applying techniques which result in the distortion of standard diamond...

      Disused Mines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what further action she will take to reduce emissions of methane gas from disused mines.

      Endangered and Protected Species

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the criteria are for designating an animal species in the United Kingdom as (a) an endangered and (b) a protected...

      Fisheries Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what power she has to request the Fisheries Council to reconvene.

      Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the members of the (a) Rural Development Commission, (b) Environment Agency, (c) British Waterways Board, (d) Inland...

      Recycling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to encourage local authorities to ensure that blocks of flats have recycling bins.

  • Cabinet Office

    • Civil Servants (Disability)

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office by what percentage he estimates that the recorded number of disabled civil servants will change as a result of the proposed change in methodology used...

    • Government Cars

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many fixed penalty notices for speeding were issued against vehicles belonging to the Government Car Service during 2003; (2) on how many...

      Government Cars

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the provision of Government cars to Whips.

      Public Bodies

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many non-United Kingdom resident UK citizens sit on non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs); and what costs will be incurred in 2003–04 by the...

      Public Services Audit

      To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answers of 26 January 2004, Official Report, column 72W and 5 February 2004, Official Report, column 1048W, on public services audit,...

  • Leader of the House

    • European Treaties

      To ask the Leader of the House to what Treaty he referred to in his letter to Mr. Jonathan Evans MEP of 17 December 2003, in which he stated that the Treaty agreed at the European Council made...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Sports Coaching

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of (a) voluntary, (b) part-time and (c) full-time qualified athletics coaches in each year...

    • Sports Coaching

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what estimate she has made of the number of coaches employed through the Coachmatch scheme who will be (a) full-time and (b)...

      Sports Coaching

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) which National Governing Body coaching awards for sport qualify for Learning and Skills Council funding; (2) what the maximum...

      Department Branding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department and its predecessors spent on branding the Department between 1997–98 and 2003–04, broken down by...

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the largest amount of National Lottery money is that has been awarded to an organisation since its inception.

      National Lottery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many organisations in Southend, West who have applied for National Lottery funding have had their application turned down; and on...

      Picketts Lock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was spent on the Picketts Lock stadium in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

      Royal Parks Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whether staff transfers will be covered by Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations when the Royal Parks...

      Train Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last used a train in connection with her ministerial duties.

  • International Development

    • Bushmeat

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make representations to the European Commission to implement the European Parliament's resolution on Petition 461/2000...

    • Commonwealth Development Corporation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the proposals in his Written Statement of 8 January 2004 on reorganisation of CDC will require parliamentary approval; and if...

      Departmental Budget

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's total annual budget was in each year since 1997.

      Fairtrade Foundation

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the support given to the Fairtrade Foundation over the last four years.

      Mozambique

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the reports of the famine early warning systems relating to the potential for drought in Mozambique; and...

      Nuclear Weapons (Aid)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his policy is towards giving aid to countries that illegally obtain nuclear weapons.

      Overseas Development Administration

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the Overseas Development Administration's funding was paid to (a) governments and (b) non-governmental organisations in...

      Overseas Development Administration

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the Overseas Development Administration's total annual budget was in each year between 1974 and 1997.

      Wildlife and Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what progress has been made by his Department in implementing the recommendations of the 2002 Wildlife and Poverty Study; (2) if...

      Wildlife and Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to discuss with the governments of (a) Cameroon and (b) Ghana their poverty reduction strategies in the...

      Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what resources his Department has allocated to support the UN's Decade of Education for Sustainable Development; (2) what...

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he has taken to ensure that development budgets for Uganda are not diverted to defence.

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement about the people living in internally displaced persons camps within Uganda, with particular reference to...

  • Education and Skills

    • Adult Learning Grant

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adults are entitled to adult learning grant; and what steps his Department is taking to promote the take-up.

    • Skills Shortages

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received regarding the impact of skills shortages on productivity.

      Primary Schools (Health and Safety)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the application of health and safety requirements in primary schools.

      School Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the guaranteed per pupil funding increase for schools for the next academic year.

      Specialist Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to assist areas which have difficulty in raising private finance sponsorship required to make a specialist school application.

      School Building

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment of the needs of Nottingham schools he has made ahead of his decisions on the Schools for the Future school building programme.

      Student Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will reduce the level of payments of university tuition fees for graduates who take up and remain in modestly paid jobs.

      Student Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has held with the Chancellor on the relationship between projected student debt and household debt.

      Student Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many charges and of what value have been made in error to graduates whose income did not reach a level where repayment was required for...

      Private Finance Initiative (Schools)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the use of the private finance initiative in schools.

      School Sport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how he will assess whether his target that 75 per cent. of all five to 16-year-olds should spend at least two hours a week engaged in...

      Higher Education Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his intention that the new national professional standards for teachers in higher education will include a requirement to hold...

      Key Stage 3 Tests

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Key Stage 3 English tests were re-marked in each year since 2001; what the cost was of carrying out this re-marking in each year;...

      Nottinghamshire Learning and Skills Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what reassessment he has made of decisions made by the board of Nottinghamshire Learning and Skills Council in the last six months;...

      R and D

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to whom his Department distributes expenditure on research and development; how many staff are employed as a result; and how many research...

      Scientific Research Infrastructure Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money has been allocated to (a) Newcastle University and (b) Northumbria University from the Scientific Research Infrastructure...

      Special Needs Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the continued commissioning from local education authorities of independent specialist education...

  • Solicitor-General

    • Proceeds of Crime Act

      To ask the Solicitor-General how many applications have been made by the Crown Prosecution Service under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and how successful the recovery has been.

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the progress of the pilot to place Crown Prosecution Service offices in police stations.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Solicitor-General what steps she is taking to improve guidance to the Crown Prosecution Service on cases of domestic violence.

      Domestic Violence

      To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the relationship between the proposed commissioner for domestic violence and the Crown Prosecution Service.

      Nottingham Criminal Justice Board

      To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on progress made in recent weeks on the work of the Crown Prosecution Service with the Nottingham criminal justice board in connecting...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Cockling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety regulations apply to the cockling industry; what steps are being taken to ensure that these regulations are communicated...

    • Objective 3 Funds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions where the distribution of Objective 3 takes place with regard to (a) location and (b) financial amount for the 2000–06 period.

      Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of benefit fraud were detected in each of the last six years; and how many of these have resulted in (a) prosecutions and (b)...

      Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate, for each local authority, the total amount saved in benefit expenditure arising from anti-fraud initiatives in the most...

      Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of (a) the interaction between income support and disability benefits, (b) the complexity of this interaction and...

      Benefits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how much was spent by his Department on incapacity benefit pilots in 2003; and what his estimate is of expenditure on such pilots in...

      Carer's Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review pensioner carers' access to carer's allowance payments.

      Child Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to achieve the Government's targets of (a) ending child poverty by 2020, (b) halving it by 2010 and (c)...

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many self-employed non-resident parents have failed to meet the required Child Support Agency calculated maintenance payments in the last...

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Child Support Agency computer system to be working at its planned level; and if he will make a statement.

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps against internet sites which exist to help people reduce or avoid their obligations to the Child Support Agency.

      Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) representations he has received and (b) assessment he has made of the (i) human rights implications and (ii) possible grounds for...

      Civil Servants (Transfer of Pensions)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with those civil servants transferred from the Health and Safety Executive to Logica/CMG about their pensions scheme.

      Compensation Awards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for what reasons a compensation award counts as capital for benefits calculations.

      Council Tax Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering council tax benefit payments in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Scotland in each of the last five years; what...

      Council Tax Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what estimate he has made of the (a) cost and (b) number of beneficiaries of abolishing the upper capital limit on council tax benefit...

      Council Tax Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of pensioners were eligible for council tax benefit in each year since 2000 in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the proposals drafted by his Department's senior management team for up to 18,000 job cuts in his Department.

      Departmental Staff (Fraud)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in...

      Elderly People (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action is being taken to ensure that elderly people receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

      Employment (Older People)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on older people in the workplace.

      Employment (Older People)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the unemployment rates for the 55-plus age group in (a) Coventry, (b) the West Midlands and (c) the United Kingdom.

      EU Citizens (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the total additional cost of all benefits payable in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 financial years to...

      EU Citizens (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on the UK labour market after 1 May of the absence of transitional restrictions in the UK for the...

      EU Citizens (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to what benefits citizens of other EU countries are entitled after they have been resident in the UK for three months.

      EU Citizens (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) under which provisions of the European Union Accession Treaty people from Poland will be permitted from 1 May to reside and work freely...

      EU Citizens (Benefits)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what UK social security entitlements citizens of other EU countries have if they reside in the UK; and if he will make a statement; (2)...

      Family Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in families receiving (a) Income Support and (b) Jobseeker's Allowance are receiving support through (i) the Tax Credits...

      Income Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will enable recipients of income support to put aside some of their benefit to save for the purchase of a Motability vehicle without...

      Information Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what audit mechanisms are in place to determine whether all Information Technology hardware and software products are being properly utilised...

      IT Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department's main IT service provider paid Microsoft on the Department's behalf in licensing fees in each of the last three years;...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what definition of the term "merger dividend" he uses in relation to the setting up of Jobcentre Plus, with particular regard to the...

      Jobcentre Plus/Pension Service (Relocation)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account was taken of the Rural Plan in making decisions about the relocation of (a) Jobcentre Plus and (b) Pension Service offices.

      New Deal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on the New Deal for Young People in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

      New Deal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent by his Department on the New Deal for Disabled People in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003.

      New Deal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what research has been carried out into the wage levels of New Deal leavers; and if he will make a statement.

      New Deal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents are benefiting from the New Deal in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley.

      Part-time Workers (Pensions)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures have been introduced since 1997 to improve pension rights for part-time workers.

      Pension Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what (a) state basic pension and (b) state second pension entitlement credits are available for carers (i) below the age of 50, (ii) above the...

      Pension Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what protection is afforded to workers who have lost their pension rights after their employer became insolvent under clause 8 of the EU...

      Pension Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what obligations are placed on actuaries or trustees who are winding-up pension schemes to pay the guaranteed minimum pension.

      Pension Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate public expenditure on the state second pension in each year from 2006–07 to 2015–16 based on (a) present...

      "Riding the Benefits Rollercoaster"

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will respond to the Citizens Advice Scotland Report, "Riding the Benefits Rollercoaster"; and if he will make a statement.

      Stakeholder Pension Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out the circumstances in which voluntary contributions to a stakeholder pension scheme are treated as voluntary deprivation of...

      Train Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties.

      Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claims under the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979 were made in each year since 2000; and how many were successful.

      Welfare Modernisation Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to note 9, page 25 of the report by the Government Actuary on the drafts of the Social Security Benefits Uprating Order 2004 (Cm...

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received winter fuel payments in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear, (d) the north-east...

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received winter fuel payments in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley in each of the last three years; and...

      Workstep Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many disabled people who had participated in the Workstep programme gained employment in (a) 1999, (b) 2000, (c) 2001, (d) 2002 and...

      Workstep Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people employed by his Department are supported by the Workstep programme.

  • Advocate-General

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Advocate-General how many staff work in the office of the Advocate-General.[R]

  • Scotland

    • Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the...

    • Cross-border Public Authorities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what cross-border public authorities exercise functions in Scotland; and when he last met the chair of each authority.

      Pre-Budget Report

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many copies of the leaflet, "What the Pre-Budget Report means for Scotland", have been produced; and what the costs of (a) producing and (b)...

      Scottish Economy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the prospects for the Scottish economy.

      Scottish Parliament Members

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what information he has collated on the number of people in Scotland who, by the end of each month of the consultation period, had (a) supported and (b)...

  • Trade and Industry

    • Agriculture Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantitative assessment her Department has made of the effect of EU and US agriculture subsidies on (a) gross national product and (b)...

    • Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in...

      Business Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken since 1997 to reduce the administrative burden on small and medium-sized enterprises of compliance with...

      Business Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when Mr. David Franklin was appointed as a small and medium-sized enterprises adviser to the Government; and in what capacity.

      Business Support

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reform the Small Business Loan Scheme; and if she will make a statement.

      Company Directors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many proceedings in the public interest for the disqualification of company directors (a) were brought and (b) resulted in a...

      Corporate Social Responsibility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her European counterparts on corporate social responsibility issues.

      Corporate Social Responsibility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with industry representatives on corporate social responsibility issues.

      Corporate Social Responsibility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether she has met representatives from the UN Global Compact to discuss the global future of corporate social responsibility.

      Corporate Social Responsibility

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations she has recently held with business leaders to identify priorities for action in Corporate Social Responsibility; what her...

      Credit Records

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that people are not disadvantaged through living at an address at which the previous occupants had poor...

      EU Export Subsidies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the EU export subsidies whose removal would be of benefit to developing countries.

      Export Assistance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how her Department (a) encourages and (b) assists UK businesses to export.

      Export Credits Guarantee Department

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the top five clients/companies, by value, of the Export Credits Guarantee Department for each of the last five years.

      Export Credits Guarantee Department

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's assessment of the debt owed to the Export Credits Guarantee Department by other nations; what...

      Faraday Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new products and processes have been brought to the market place as a result of each of the Faraday partnerships in each year since 2000.

      Fisheries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on recent developments on vessel eligibility for the Compensation Scheme for Former Icelandic Water Trawlermen.

      Gas/Electricity Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what steps Ofgem is taking to ensure that (a) gas and (b) electricity customers are aware of the possibilities of saving money by...

      Grocery Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the (a) Office of Fair Trading and (b) her Department will assess acquisition strategies in the convenience sector of the grocery market.

      Grocery Market

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of the impact on the consumer of dominance by large chains of the mainstream grocery market; (2) what...

      Group 3 Employment Cases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many disputed Group 3 employment cases there are.

      Indonesia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what circumstances official meetings relating to Indonesia have been attended by the right hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson);...

      Information Technology (Women)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what target her Department has set for the number of women working in information and communication technology; and what strategy her...

      Milk Marque

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment she has made of the impact of the Competition Report into the operation of the former dairy producer co-operative Milk...

      Miners' Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1174W, on miners' compensation, for what reason the initial discussions...

      Miners' Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average payment in compensation received was in cases fully settled under the chest disease compensation scheme by claimants (a) who...

      Miners' Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the minimum payment under the Miners' Compensation Fund; and if she will make a statement.

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last used a train in connection with her ministerial duties.

      Money Laundering

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will take steps to tackle the misuse of UK-based companies to facilitate money laundering and illegal asset transfer from other...

      National Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 781W, on wage levels, how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful...

      Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what percentage of man hours involved in the construction of offshore oil and gas facilities destined for UK waters are required by her...

      Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to the European Commission concerning fair competition in the supply of installations for the gas and oil...

      Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the principal conditions attached to the licence issued by her Department to EnCana to develop the Buzzard field in the North Sea were.

      Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements are in place to enforce European Union health and safety at work standards at each stage of the construction and...

      Operating and Financial Review

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the draft regulations for the forthcoming Operating and Financial Review; and what technical improvements have...

      Phoenix Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for Phoenix funds have been (a) submitted and (b) accepted for each nation in the UK since its inception; and if she...

      Phoenix Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will assess the (a) uptake and (b) effectiveness of the Phoenix Fund in disadvantaged communities.

      Phoenix Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) current and (b) projected budget for 2004–05 is of the Phoenix Fund; and if she will make a statement.

      Phonographic Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence she has collated on the purchase of compact discs at discount prices on the internet and subsequent surcharges imposed by the...

      Regional Venture Capital Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of whether investment activity rates will achieve their investment targets for the regional venture capital fund.

      Regional Venture Capital Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to introduce a standardised definition across each region of an application to a regional venture capital fund.

      Regional Venture Capital Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how her Department is (a) monitoring and (b) evaluating the performance of regional venture capital funds.

      Regional Venture Capital Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department will publish measurements of the impact of regional venture capital funds on the wider economy.

      Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what feedback she has received from small companies in relation to the impact of the higher marginal rate on profits in the band £10,000...

      Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the (a) total and (b) yearly small business service budget was devoted to deregulatory initiatives in each year since its...

      Small Businesses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many companies have benefited from the Small Business Loan Scheme in (a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley in each of the...

      SMART Awards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the role of the SMART awards in boosting enterprise in the UK.

      UK Online for Business

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms were given assistance with internet business solutions by UK online for business, in each year since its inception.

      Wind Turbines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what standards regulate aerodynamically generated wind noise in residential areas; and if she will make a statement.

      World Trade Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the United States since the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation ministerial...

      World Trade Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will identify the ways in which representatives of developing countries at the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference at...

  • Defence

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what type of armoured patrol vehicles are available to British troops in Afghanistan.

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future plans for an expanded NATO peacekeeping mission in Northern Afghanistan; and what the British involvement will be.

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which aircraft carriers he plans to have available for service in 2014.

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it remains his policy that the Invincible Class carriers shall remain in service until replaced by the new aircraft carriers.

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the decommissioning date of HMS Ark Royal has been brought forward to 2013.

      Apache Helicopters

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Apache helicopters are in use at RAF Shawbury; (2) how many Apache helicopters are in storage at RAF Shawbury; and what their value is;...

      Army Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what minimum training requirements are in place for the (a) Regular Army and (b) Territorial Army prior to deployment on operations.

      Challenger II Tanks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Challenger II tanks are currently operational.

      Civil Contingency Reaction Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the reservists who make up the operational capability of Civil Contingency Reaction Forces are on active duty overseas; and if he will make a...

      Consultation Documents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the individuals and organisations to whom (a) his Department, (b) its executive agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies for which...

      Defence Exports (UK Employment)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment his Department has made of the York University study estimating the impact on UK employment of the Government's promotion of export...

      Defence Medical Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the future accommodation of nursing staff accommodated at (a) Keogh Barracks, Aldershot and (b) Fort Blockhouse, Gosport.

      Defence Medical Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) current strength is of each medical specialty in the Defence Medical Services.

      Foreign Aircraft

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 27 January 2004, Official Report, column 245W, where information on the foreign aircraft hired by his Department is held; on...

      Information Technology

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each information technology project being undertaken by his Department and its agencies including the (a) start date, (b) planned...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British service personnel (a) have committed suicide in Iraq or since returning to the UK from Iraq and (b) have been returned to the UK from...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the training received by Trooper Sarah Masters prior to deployment in Iraq.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the outcome was of the investigation into the deaths of the six Royal Military Police soldiers killed in Iraq on 24 June 2003; what documents...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK representatives there are on the Iraq Survey Group; how many there have been in total since the Group was established; what the cost to date...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average planned tour of duty is for troops serving in Iraq.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional nuclear biological and chemical warfare training soldiers received in the immediate build-up to Operation Telic.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the co-operation between UK forces in Iraq and the Civil Defence forces.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 887W, on the Iraq Survey Group, how many personnel were employed in the Iraq Survey...

      Israeli Defence Minister (UK Visit)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what plans he has to discuss the supply of military and security equipment between Israel and the UK with the Israeli Defence Minister during his...

      Joint Strike Fighter

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many joint strike fighters will be ordered; and what the percentage work share of BAE Systems is.

      Offshore Patrol Ships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of whether there is a need to increase the number of offshore patrol ships.

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Private Finance Initiative projects let by his Department since 1997; how long each process took; and who the contractors were.

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the Private Finance Initiative projects that are in the competition stage; and when each competition was opened.

      Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) a recruitment freeze is in operation in the Scottish regiments and (b) there was a recruitment freeze in operation in the Scottish regiments...

      Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Scottish army regiments on recruitment.

      Reserve Forces

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 505W, on reservists, how many reservists were called out immediately following...

      Royal College of Defence Medicine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what accommodation for personnel exists at the Royal College of Defence Medicine; and what plans he has for future accommodation.

      Shipbuilding Industry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the RAND Report on capacity in the UK shipbuilding industry.

      Suez Medal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many medals have been awarded for service in the Suez Canal Zone 1951–54; how many are still to be awarded to (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c)...

      Suez Medal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the timetable for the awards to be made to those qualifying for a Suez Medal.

      Typhoon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Typhoon aircraft will be ordered by each partner in the second tranche.

      Typhoon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of converting Typhoon to operate on the new aircraft carriers.

      Typhoon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the second tranche of Typhoon fast jets will be ordered.

      Weapons of Mass Destruction

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list (a) each of the types of weapons of mass destruction that exist in the world and (b) the countries which possess them; and how many...

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Area Partnerships

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2004, Official Report, columns 401–02W, on Area Partnerships, how much each of the 88 local authorities has been allocated.

    • Council Tax

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the range of values would be for each council tax band at today's prices.

      Elderly People (Safety)

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action the Government has taken to promote safety at home for elderly people.

      High-rise Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) central and (b) local government regulations and policy governs whether families should be housed (i) in high-rise housing accommodation and (ii) on...

      Housing

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many councils have been required to release reserve sites for housing development as a consequence of failing to meet house building targets.

      Housing Stock Transfer

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 748, how many of the 790,000 council homes have been transferred to arm's length...

      Local Authority Employees

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the proportion of local authority employees to adult population was in each (a) unitary authority, (b) metropolitan authority and (c) shire county on the...

      Pathfinder Projects

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many of the housing renewal pathfinder project areas he has visited in the last 12 months.

      Regional Government

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) if he will list the proposed powers of regional assemblies; (2) if he will list the responsibilities which he plans should not be devolved to regional...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's relations with the military regime in Burma.

    • Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department is making in tackling the human rights situation in Burma (a) bilaterally and (b) in the UN.

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights record of China since the killings in Tiananmen Square in 1989, with particular...

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to oppose the lifting of the European Union arms embargo on China; and if he will make a statement.

      Comoros Islands

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit the Comoros Islands; and if he will make a statement.

      EU Advertising (Slovakia)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advertising the Government paid for on Slovak television concerning enlargement.

      EU Presidency (UK)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what preparatory unit has been established for the next UK Presidency of the EU; and what venues have been booked for British...

      Government Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 844W, if he will list payments made by the United Kingdom...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Iraqi women who will be elected to the first Iraqi Parliament.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in custody in Iraq have proven links to al-Qaeda, broken down by nationality; and how many of these are believed...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to (a) the UN and (b) the United States on (i) the future structure of the Iraqi Administration...

      IT Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list information technology contracts in his Department with a value of above £20 million in each of the last 10...

      Kalahari Bushmen

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Botswana regarding the forced resettlement of the Kalahari Bushmen.

      Tristan da Cunha

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial support has been given to (a) St. Helena, (b) Tristan da Cunha and (c) the Ascension Islands in each of the...

      Overseas Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many overseas students applied for visas to study in the UK in the last year for which figures are available; and how many...

      Nicholas Baker

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken since 5 November 2003 to secure the release of Mr. Nicholas Baker from prison in Japan; and if he...

  • Transport

    • Pensioner Travel Concessions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will fund off-peak travel for all pensioners in England.

    • Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the new guidelines relating to the erection of speed cameras will cover existing cameras as well as new cameras.

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras were in place on (a) 1 January and (b) 1 January in each of the previous eight years in each of the local authorities in greater...

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, columns 243–4W, on speed cameras, how much was raised in fines by the Essex Safety Camera...

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the Written Answers of 3 February 2004, Official Report, column 826W, on speed cameras, what the reason is for the difference of...

      Banned Airlines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 26 January, Official Report, column 33W, on banned airlines, what restrictions have been placed on which aircraft operating...

      Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in benefit...

      Civil Servants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many civil servants, broken down by grade, there are in the Department and the agencies for which the Department is responsible; and what the...

      Collapsible Plates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers there are to permit the installation of collapsible plates to enforce one-way traffic on public highways.

      Consultancy Fees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on consultancy fees by (a) his Department and its predecessors, (b) Network Rail and (c) London Underground in the last three years.

      Consultations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those individuals and organisations to whom (a) his Department, (b) its executive agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies...

      Department Branding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and its predecessors spent on branding the Department between 1997–98 and 2003–04, broken down by (a) counsultancy...

      Departmental Minutes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is his Department's policy to make notes of (a) meetings and (b) telephone conversations involving Ministers; and under what circumstances...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of staff employed within his Department are over 55 years of age; and what (a) number and (b) percentage of staff recruited over the...

      Driver, Vehicle and Operator Group

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many information technology projects within the Driver, Vehicle and Operator group are (a) under way and (b) planned; what estimate he has made of...

      Exhaust Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the comparative motor vehicle exhaust emission statistics are for (a) liquefied petroleum gas, (b) compressed natural gas, (c) petrol and (d) diesel.

      Grand Prix

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking in conjunction with (a) the Highways Agency and (b) other interested parties to facilitate access to the Silverstone circuit...

      Highways Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in what way the Highways Agency takes account of the views of neighbouring local authorities when major changes to trunk roads are under consideration.

      M2

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the noise mitigation work on the Bredgar section of the M2 will commence; and if he will make a statement.

      Rail Authorities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people are employed by (a) the Strategic Rail Authority, (b) the Health and Safety Executive railway branch, (c) the Office of the Rail...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many SPADs there have been on the railway network in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans Network Rail has to expand capacity on routes into London termini from stations in commuter range.

      Road Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the estimated cost to public funds is of (a) a fatal road crash, (b) a road crash involving a serious injury and (c) a road crash involving a...

      Rural Speed Limits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when guidelines for rural speed limits will be made available to local authorities.

      Speed Cameras (Southend)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when speed cameras were first introduced (a) in Prittlewell Chase and (b) on the A127 within the boundaries of Southend; and how many have been...

      Traffic Lights (Sheppey)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the Highways Agency research into new traffic lights at Cowstead Corner, Sheppey.

      Train Rolling Stock

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to protect passenger interests from leasing contracts for train rolling stock that provide comparatively poor value for money.

      Train Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties.

      Uninsured Cars

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) untaxed, (b) uninsured and (c) uninsured and untaxed cars there are in the UK.

      Vehicle Excise Duty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many owners of untaxed foreign cars were traced and brought into the car tax regime in the last year for which figures are available; and what...

      Vehicle Fuels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles he estimates are powered by (a) liquefied petroleum gas, (b) compressed natural gas, (c) petrol and (d) diesel, broken down by (i)...

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff in his Department have been (a) suspended, (b) dismissed, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted for involvement...

    • Census (1911)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1112W, on the 1911 Census, for what reasons the 1921,...

      Census (1911)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to his answer of 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1112W, on the 1911 Census, how many applications were...

      Criminal Cases (Costs)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost was per case for magistrates courts criminal cases dealt with in England and Wales by (a)...

      Honours System

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations his Department has received about reforming the honours system.

      Honours System

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when Sir Hayden Phillips started his review of the honours system; what the remit is of his review; when he is due to...

      House of Lords

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many meetings he has had with Peers to discuss reforming the House of Lords.

      Hutton Inquiry

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the cost of the Hutton Inquiry.

      Judges

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints he has received in the last 12 months from members of the (a) legal profession and (b) public,...

      Judicial Appointments

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Lord Chancellor's joint working party on the appointment of QCs and judges will next meet.

      Judicial Appointments

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of (a) magistrates and (b) judges are from an ethnic minority group.

      Legal Aid

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of separating the legal aid budget into separate accounts for (a) civil, including family,...

      Legal Aid

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was paid in salaries to those employed in dealing with or administering the work of the Legal Aid Board in 1996;...

      Legal Aid

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) how many solicitors firms in Wrexham carried out publicly funded matrimonial legal help work in the last three...

      Legal Services Commission

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was paid in salaries to those employed in dealing with or administering the work of the Legal Services...

      Queen's Counsel

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on progress with the review of the Queen's Counsel system.

      Security Passes

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many security passes have been reported (a) lost and (b) stolen by staff in his Department in the last 12 months.

      Sentencing (Video Links)

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to extend the use of video links for the purpose of sentencing, where appropriate.

  • Prime Minister

    • BBC (Government Representations)

      To ask the Prime Minister what record is kept of representations made to the BBC by the Government; and by whom.

    • Benefit Fraud

      To ask the Prime Minister how many staff in his Office have been (a) suspended, (b) dismissed, (c) prosecuted and (d) convicted for involvement in benefit fraud in each of the last six years; and...

      Business Social andEnvironmental Impact Reports

      To ask the Prime Minister how many FTSE 350 companies have (a) made representations to him regarding his challenge of October 2000 to produce reports on their social and environmental impacts and...

      Cabinet Papers

      To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to change the 30-year restriction on the disclosure of Cabinet papers; and if he will make a statement.

      EU Enlargement

      To ask the Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with the EU accession countries on the expected number of migrants coming to the UK after enlargement.

      Headed Notepaper

      To ask the Prime Minister what authority members of the Prime Minister's staff have to use 10 Downing street headed paper while employed in his office.

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the information received on 29 August 2002 that some of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction could be deployed within 45 minutes of an order to...

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister whether changes were made to the content of the Iraq weapons of mass destruction dossier between the version signed off by John Scarlett on 20 September 2002 and the...

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Croydon, South (Richard Ottaway) of 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 772, if he will list the occasions...

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Croydon, South on 4 February 2004, Official Report, column 772, when he knew that the 45-minute launch time referred...

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister when the Government warned the Iraqi regime that the use of chemical or biological weapons would meet with a nuclear response.

      Iraq

      To ask the Prime Minister what information the British Government passed to Dr. Hans Blix to assist in his search for weapons of mass destruction; what the results were of the weapons inspectors'...

      Minister for the Disabled

      To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to appoint a Minister for the Disabled.

      Radioactive Waste

      To ask the Prime Minister what correspondence he has received from Nirex in respect of the issues raised by the proposed compensation of host communities chosen as locations for radioactive waste...

      SIS (Staff Counsellor)

      To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about the Staff Counsellor for the Security and Intelligence Services.

      Train Travel

      To ask the Prime Minister when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties.

  • Health

    • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are in place to ensure that there is no new outbreak of CJD in Britain.

    • Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been undertaken to establish whether an increase in sporadic CJD is connected to BSE contaminated meat.

      Food Supplements

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health following the granting of leave by the High Court for a case against the Food Supplements Directive to be taken to the European Court of Justice, if he...

      Allergies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's strategy for diagnosis and management of allergies in the National Health Service; what guidance is issued...

      Ambulance Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in the procurement of a replacement radio system for the ambulance service; when he anticipates the contract will be awarded;...

      Anti-ligature Policies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on anti-ligature policies for standard NHS environments.

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cross-departmental work is being carried out by his Department and the Department for Education and Skills in respect of those who have been...

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on assisting those who have been diagnosed as autistic; and if he will make a statement.

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed as being autistic in (a) 1990, (b) 2000 and (c) the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a...

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much financial support he has given for research into autism in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a...

      Cancer Survey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the analysis of the National Patient Cancer Survey commissioned by his Department.

      Cardiac Treatment (Brighton Hospitals)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis decisions are taken on whether persons receiving cardiac treatment at Brighton hospitals have (a) their travel expenses, (b) the...

      Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of availability of care home places in London and the South on the well-being of elderly people.

      Care Registrations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the National Care Standards Commission in processing new registrations.

      Care Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in England are employed as care workers; and how many vacancies there are for care workers.

      Childhood Immunisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of children did not receive any of the standard childhood immunisations in 2003.

      Consultant Contracts (Lancashire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on consultant contracts in the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust.

      Contaminated Blood

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the countries from which the NHS purchases plasma and blood products; and in which of these countries there have been cases of (a) CJD,...

      Contaminated Blood

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Blood Transfusion Committee has completed its contingency logistics plan on how to deal with possible blood shortages resulting from...

      Contaminated Blood

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ban foreign nationals who have received blood in countries with confirmed cases of BSE from donating blood in the UK.

      Contaminated Blood

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his statement on developments in variant CJD of 17 December 2003, Official Report, columns 1571–85, what steps he is taking to encourage...

      Delayed Discharges (Essex)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total amount of fines imposed on Essex Social Services Department in January was as a result of delayed discharge of patients from hospital.

      Dietary Strategy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's strategy is for reducing (a) sugar levels in food and (b) the prevalence of people having excess sugar in their diet.

      Domiciliary Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what actions the National Care Standards Commission has taken to publicise the need for providers of domiciliary care to be registered with them;...

      Down's Syndrome

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department provided in 2003–04 for people affected by Down's Syndrome, including research into Down's Syndrome, broken down by (a)...

      EU Directives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of (a) EU Directive 2001/20/EC and (b) the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2003 on cancer...

      EU Directives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on (a) EU Directive 2001/20/EC and (b) the Medicines for Human Use (Clinical Trials) Regulations 2003.

      Gamma Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS trusts have gamma cameras; and what the date of their acquisition was in each case.

      GP Drug Training

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting list is for general practitioner training in substance misuse treatment.

      Health Protection Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the European Commission's REACH chemical regulations on the work of the Health Protection Agency at Porton...

      Heroin Addicts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the success rates in (a) France and (b) Sweden in treating heroin addiction; and what the success rate is in the UK.

      Hospice Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the funds he announced on 26 December 2003 to improve care for the dying will be allocated; and how much will be made available to hospices.

      Hospice Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much money has been given through the NHS to (a) Derian House Hospice and (b) St Catherine's Hospice in each of the last five years; (2) how...

      Illegal Meat

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support the Food Standards Agency is providing to local authorities to aid them in the (a) detection and (b) prosecution of traders in...

      Learning Disabilities

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on health provision for (a) children and (b) adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

      Mental Health (Suicide)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what standards on (a) furniture and (b) accessories the Government sets for those caring for mental health patients in an effort to reduce the risk...

      Mental Health (Suicide)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government's policy is on reducing the risks of suicide in mental health hospitals.

      Mental Health (Suicide)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what (a) precedent cases and (b) expert knowledge (i) the Government and (ii) relevant bodies refer when seeking to reduce the risks of suicide in...

      Mental Health (Suicide)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the links between suicide in mental health institutions and high drug abuse and dependency rates.

      Methadone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of methadone prescriptions under the average dosage recommended by the National Treatment Agency which were issued...

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will visit Derian House Children's Hospice in Chorley.

      Multiple Sclerosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the (a) cost and (b) work force implications of National Institute for Clinical Excellence clinical guidance for multiple...

      National Care Standards Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of the National Care Standards Commission has been in each year since its creation.

      National Care Standards Commission

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what income has been raised by the National Care Standards Commission in each year since its creation.

      NHS Beds

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS (a) general and (b) acute hospital beds there were in (i) Chorley and (ii) Preston in each of the last three years.

      NHS Trust Documents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on making available to hon. Members documents originating in NHS trusts; and what criteria he uses in deciding which of these documents...

      Operation Telic

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many service men and women served in Operation Telic.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the (a) Questions with reference numbers 144997, 144998, 145041, 145043, 145046 and 145055 tabled by the hon. Member for East Worthing...

      Public Health Skills Audit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 7 January 2004, Official Report, column 396W, on public health skills audit, what steps (a) his Department and (b) agencies of...

      Public Health White Paper

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish a white paper on public health; and if he will make a statement.

      Pulmonary Hypertension

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the susceptibility of different (a) gender and (b) age groups to pulmonary hypertension; (2) what assessment he has...

      R and D

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health to whom his Department distributes expenditure on research and development; how many staff are employed as a result; and how many research establishments...

      Renal Services (Lancashire)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on renal services in (a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley.

      Restructuring/Change Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total reduction in numbers of departmental staff will be under the Change Programme.

      Rural Health Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to address the health needs of elderly people in rural areas.

      School Fruit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress is being made towards giving every child aged four to six a free piece of fruit each school day; (2) what discussions he has had with...

      Sustainable Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's Sustainable Development Strategy over the last two years.

      Toxic Chemicals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted by his Department into the accumulation of toxic chemicals in humans.

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what departmental guidance he has issued on the control of tuberculosis at (a) ports and (b) airports; (2) what procedures for the screening of...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on levels of immunity to tuberculosis in London.

      Variant CJD

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recipients of (a) blood and (b) blood products derived from donors who subsequently were confirmed to have variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease have...

      Waiting Times (Breast Cancer)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics are collated on waiting times for breast cancer patients other than the two-week target for general practitioner urgent referral to first...

      Working Time Directive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implications of the Working Time Directive for the work of general practitioners in the Chorley South Ribble Primary...

      Yellow/red Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) yellow and (b) red cards have been issued by (i) Barnsley hospital, (ii) Doncaster Royal infirmary and (iii) all south-Yorkshire hospitals in...

  • Home Department

    • Criminal Justice Boards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to include representatives of (a) magistrates' and (b) justices' clerks on criminal justice boards.

    • Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was raised in fines from speed cameras in the Humberside area in the last three years.

      Speed Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was raised in fines from speed cameras in the last year for which records are available in (a) West Sussex and (b) the East...

      Airwave

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Airwave service to be fully operational within Gwent police force.

      Airwave

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Airwave service will be available on a national basis.

      Airwave

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects the operational benefits to the police of the investment in the Airwave services will be; and if he will make a statement.

      Bribery

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions assets relating to bribery of a foreign public official have been confiscated under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and...

      Bribery

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) allegations and (b) reports of bribery of a foreign public official by a UK company or individual have been forwarded to (i) the...

      Camp Hill Prison

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the visits room at Camp Hill prison will be refurbished.

      Carter Report

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what impact he expects the implementation of the report by Patrick Carter, "Managing Offenders, Reducing Crime", will have on the numbers of...

      Consultation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list those individuals and organisations (a) to whom (i) his Department, (ii) its executive agencies and (iii) the...

      Convictions (Balance of Probabilities)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which countries in (a) the European Union and (b) the rest of the world allow the conviction of suspected offenders on the balance of...

      Correctional Services Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the implementation team reporting to the Correctional Services Board will be established.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his hon. Friend the Minister for Immigration will meet the hon. Member for Leicester, East to discuss the case referred to in the letter...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter, reference: PO 17891/3, from the Member for Spelthorne, dated 22 December 2003, regarding Mr.and Mrs.H....

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East of 16 September, 30 October, 30 December 2003 and 8 January...

      Crime and Disorder Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the crime and disorder partnerships in England and Wales that (a) have and (b) have not had a full inspection; and if he will...

      Crime and Disorder Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the (a) police authorities and (b) local authorities that have not incorporated section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act...

      Crime and Disorder Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the 10 local authorities that have most successfully implemented section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; and what...

      Crime and Disorder Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list (a) the Home Office funding streams available to crime and disorder partnerships in North Wales and (b) the funding stream...

      Crime Statistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the incidence of (a) domestic violence and (b) hate crimes was for each local authority area in North Wales in each of the last 10 years.

      Driving Convictions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the criteria to ensure a successful conviction for the charge of causing death by dangerous driving.

      Drugs Treatment (Wales)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) drug rehabilitation centres, (b) people treated in drug rehabilitation centres and (c) drug rehabilitation centre places there...

      Extraditions (Russia)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many extradition requests have been made by the Russian authorities in the last five years; and how many have been granted.

      Female Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pregnant women there are in prison; how many there were in each of the last five years; what policies the Prison Service has in...

      Firearms Consultative Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he last met members of the representative bodies for shooting to discuss the future of the Firearms Consultative Committee; (2)...

      Graffiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties are available to magistrates when considering the punishment of those who graffiti.

      Graffiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will propose legislative provisions for magistrates to impose sentences on those who graffiti public and private buildings which...

      Heroin (Criminal Activity)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the costs of criminal activity in connection with heroin use in each of the last five years.

      HMP Bronzefield

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when HMP Bronzefield will open.

      Home Detention Curfew

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who will decide whether to grant a home detention curfew until the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service takes up his...

      Home Detention Curfew

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been released on the Home Detention Curfew Scheme.

      National Offender Management Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he will monitor the work of the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will answer (a) the Questions with reference numbers 143057 and 143063 tabled by the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the question reference 145289 on women prisoners tabled by the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South on 16 December 2003.

      Police Cells

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prison cells are to be built in Lancashire, broken down by prison.

      Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on prison resources directed at the rehabilitation of prisoners aged 25 years and under.

      Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to extend the pilot assessment and treatment programmes at HMP Whitemoor, HMP Frankland, and Broadmoor and Rampton hospitals to...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the (a) budgeted and (b) expected final costs are for the construction of HM Prison Bromsfield.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people held in prison are the subject of a deportation order, broken down by sex.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are serving sentences of 12 months or less.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons are being considered for closure.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that all prisons holding foreign nationals have in place (a) relevant policies and practices and (b) a...

      Probation Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees the National Probation Directorate has had in each year since 2000.

      R and D

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom his Department distributes expenditure on research and development; how many staff are employed as a result; and how many research...

      Re-offending

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many offenders serving (a) a custodial sentence and (b) a community service sentence in each year since 1997 reoffended within (i)...

      Sexual Assault Referral Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the results of his Department's review of sexual assault referral centres will be made public.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a warrant for the arrest of Colonel Abdullahi Yusuf, the ruler of Puntland, Somalia.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a warrant for the arrest of General Mohammed Hersei Morgan of Somalia, the former Governor of Hargeisa.

      Vehicle Theft

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cars were reported stolen in the year for which recent figures are available in the (a) Lancashire Police Authority, (b) Greater...

      Video Links

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department has taken to provide video links to prisons for the use of the (a) police, (b) probation service and (c) other...

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations govern the use of special cells for young offenders; and if he will make a statement.

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders have been kept in solitary confinement for over (a) a day, (b) two days, (c) three days, (d) four days, (e) five...

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the longest period of time that a young offender has been in solitary confinement is since 1997.

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders from Wales were placed in special cells at youth prisons in each of the last five years.

      Workers' Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the employers he has met to discuss his proposals to make them responsible for compensating their workers who are injured in...

  • House of Lords

    • North/South Implementation Bodies

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the accounts for the year 2000 for the cross-border Language Implementation Body have been finalised and signed by the appropriate authorities; if not,...

    • North/South Implementation Bodies

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord President on 19 January (WA 119) concerning the proportionality of funding for cross-border bodies, whether...

      Northern Ireland Assembly: Costs

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the total cost of the salaries of Members of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly, and that of their support staff, from 14 October 2002 to 31...

      Jamaica: Prisons

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What discussions have taken place between the Department for International Development and the Government of Jamaica on possible United Kingdom financial...

      Questions for Written Answer: Reply Times

      asked the Leader of the House: On how many occasions during the past 12 months they have failed to meet the target of answering Written Questions within two weeks; and which departments have been...

      Questions for Written Answer: Reply Times

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many officials are employed in the Cabinet Office to answer Questions for Written Answer; and whether there are plans to employ extra staff in view of the...

      Faith Communities Unit

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the remit of the Home Office Faith Communities Unit.

      Faith Communities Unit

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many members of staff there are in the Faith Communities Unit.

      Faith Communities Unit

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How the staff in the Home Office Faith Communities Unit are deployed.

      Faith Communities Unit

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the main faith communities are represented in the Faith Communities Unit staff team.

      National Offender Management Service: Unconvicted Prisoners

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Following the Home Secretary's announcement of the establishment of a National Offender Management Service, what arrangements are to be made for the management of...

      Criminal Records Bureau

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether it is still the case that the data from a Criminal Records Bureau application form which are input in India are name, date of birth and addresses for the...

      Criminal Records Bureau

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What checks and audits are undertaken, and at what intervals, to ensure that the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 are being met in connection with...

      Burial Grounds

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why, in their consultation paper on the reform of burial law and policy in the 21st century, the Home Office suggests that an assessment of community needs should...

      Privacy and Public Protection

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Given the conclusion of their "Respecting Privacy and Protecting the Public from Crime" consultation and the views of respondents on the desirability of a wider...

      Administrative Court: Home Office Reference M1206235

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What steps they are taking to comply with the order of Mr Justice Bell in the Administrative Court on 3 February, in the case whose Home Office reference number is...

      Work Permits: Professional Sportsmen

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What are the transitional arrangements for work permits for professional sportsmen from the proposed 10 new member states of the European Union.

      Work Permits: Professional Sportsmen

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When the decision to permit people on working holiday visas the right to take up employment in professional sport was taken; and what assessment has been made of...

      Work Permits: Professional Sportsmen

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What were the outcome and length of the consultation process which took place with professional sports organisations prior to the decision to permit people on...

      Roma Population in EU Accession Countries: Possible Migration to UK

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they can estimate the number of Roma people who are citizens of the 10 countries which are to accede this year to the European Union; and what proportion...

      Roma Population in EU Accession Countries: Possible Migration to UK

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What preparations they have made to receive Roma people who may arrive in the United Kingdom during 2004 from the 10 countries which will accede to the European...

      EU Meetings: Rules of Procedure

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Council of Ministers of the European Community and the Council of the European Union (Heads of Government) have published any standing orders for the...

      EU Meetings: Rules of Procedure

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether standing orders, or rules of procedure, for the intergovernmental conference of member governments of the European Union and applicant states have been...

      Iraq: Coalition Provisional Authority

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In what sense the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq "is led by the United States and the United Kingdom", as stated on their website; and how the authority...

      Iraq: Coalition Provisional Authority

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How the Government were consulted before Mr Bremer was appointed to head the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq.

      Iraq: Private Sector Development Division of CPA

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they support the privatisation programme for state-owned industries undertaken by the private sector development division of the Coalition Provisional...

      Iraq: State-owned Enterprises

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many of the 45 state-owned enterprises named in the Iraq Coalition Provisional Authority's "Business Opportunities in Iraq Index A" have been sold to foreign...

      Iraq: CPA Order 39

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What consultation took place between the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and the Government before Order 39 was signed in September 2003; what...

      Universities: First Degrees

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 2 February (WA 72–74), excluding the new universities created following the Further and...

      Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003: Schools and Colleges

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 28 January (WA 39–41), whether their decision to incorporate Catholic sixth-form...

      World War II Military Dining Car

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will assist the National Army Museum to acquire the former military dining car which formed part of the Mediterranean Line of Communication (Medloc)...

      Defence Procurement Agency: Website and Project Updates

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many project pages on the Defence Procurement Agency's website have not been updated for six months or more; and whether this reflects a similar lack of...

      Reserve Forces

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many members of the reserve forces are expected not to seek re-engagement due to the new requirement to notify their employers of membership of the reserve forces.

      Reserve Forces

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether commissioned members of the volunteer reserve forces will enjoy an unfair advantage over those who are not commissioned, since they do not have to...

      Reserve Forces

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether there is any legal restriction on employers' rights to counsel an employee to leave the volunteer reserve forces.

      Reserve Forces

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether a member of the volunteer reserve forces will have the right to prevent an employer being notified of his membership.

      Electoral Pilots: All-postal Ballots

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What representation they have had in the past two months in favour of holding all-postal ballots in the combined European and local elections in (a) the...

      Freedom of Information Act 2000:Ministers and Civil Servants

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What changes have been made in the administrative procedures and practices of Ministers and civil servants with a view to the coming into force of the Freedom of...

      Professor Sir Roy Meadow

      asked Her Majesty's Government: On how many occasions during the past 10 years Professor Sir Roy Meadow has lectured to judges under the auspices of the Judicial Studies Board; what were the...

      Information Commissioner: Legislative Compliance Enforcement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How they intend to respond to calls from the Information Commissioner for improvements to be made to their slow and cumbersome enforcement powers.

      Olympic Games 2012: London Bid

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the statement by the Lord Rooker on 20 January (HL Deb, col. 902) that "the Dome may play a role if London is successful in the Olympic bid", whether...

      Gender Recognition Bill

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 27 January (WA 37–38), whether they will provide a summary, which protects the...

      Inland Revenue: Disclosure of Information

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord McIntosh of Haringey on 28 January (WA 50), which laws permit the Inland Revenue to disclose information on an...

      Inland Revenue: Disclosure of Information

      asked Her Majesty's Government: On what grounds decisions are taken to transfer personal or corporate data held by the Inland Revenue to other government departments.

      Inland Revenue: Disclosure of Information

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What kinds of personal or corporate data held by the Inland Revenue are transferred to other government departments.

      Inland Revenue: Disclosure of Information

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What records are kept of transfers of personal or corporate data to other government departments; and whether the Data Protection Registrar has access to the...

      Tax

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they intend to respond to submissions to the Treasury of the Institute of Directors, the Federation for Small Businesses and the Institute of Chartered...

      Illegal Meat Imports

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will introduce a system for collecting the numbers of illegal meat seizures at (a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick.

      Broadband

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How they respond to the call from the Broadband Industry Group in its 3rd annual report for targets to be set for the roll-out and take-up of significantly faster...

      Insolvency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many insolvencies there have been each year since 1996.

      Enterprise Act 2002

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why the date for the coming into force of part of the Enterprise Act 2002 by means of the Enterprise Act 2002 (Commencement No. 5 and Amendment Order) SI 3340/2003...

      Charities

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why under the Companies Act 1985 (Accounts of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Audit Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (S.I. 16/2004) the gross income...

      Plants: Non-indigenous Pathogens

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Plant Health Inspectorate is the front line in protecting the United Kingdom from non-indigenous pathogens; and whether sufficient funding is available...

      Defra: Agencies and Bodies

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many quangos and agencies reported to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in each of the years 2000 to 2003; what they were called; and how...

      Foot and Mouth Disease: Claims Settlements

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they anticipate paying the outstanding claims by farmers which are not subject to court cases, following the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001.

      Foot and Mouth Disease: Claims Settlements

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many claims by farmers relating to the foot and mouth outbreak are due to be taken to court.

      Railways

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the current annual total of taxpayer subsidy involved in train leasing arrangements; and How current taxpayer subsidy is divided between recipient train...

      Railways

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the estimated cost of (a) the Pacer, and (b) the Pendolino trains, and the annual leasing cost; and Whether changes to primary legislation would be...

      Heathrow Airport: Travelators

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 2 February (WA 77), how much Heathrow Airport paid by way of rebates to airlines for failure of the...

      A12: Witham Bypass

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Highways Agency will arrange to plant fresh tree and shrub screening along the newly renovated section of the Witham bypass on the A12 trunk road.

      Vehicle Registration Office: Honeypot Lane, Stanmore

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the approximate turnover of the Vehicle Registration Office at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, in terms of vehicle excise licence receipts.

      Vehicle Registration Office: Honeypot Lane, Stanmore

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the target time for completion of a customer's business at the Vehicle Registration Office at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore.

      Vehicle Registration Office: Honeypot Lane, Stanmore

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many customer service points are available at the Vehicle Registration Office at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore; and for how many hours a day they are open.

      Vehicle Registration Office: Honeypot Lane, Stanmore

      asked Her Majesty's Government: For the last convenient week for which figures are available, what is the average number of customers transacting business at the Vehicle Registration Office at...

      Vehicle Registration Office: Honeypot Lane, Stanmore

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the Vehicle Registration Office at Honeypot Lane, Stanmore, accepts debit and credit cards; and, if not, why not.

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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