Written answers

Wednesday, 1 December 2004

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Bass

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the value of commercial fishing for bass in UK inshore waters.

    • GM Crops

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what GM crop applications are pending; when a decision on whether they may be added to the National Seeds List is expected;...

      GM Crops

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to support the right of individual countries to implement national bans and safeguard measures...

      Hazardous Waste Sites

      Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what directions she has given the Environment Agency with regard to monitoring sites dealing with hazardous...

      Hazardous Waste Sites

      Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment was made of Wingmoor Farm, Bishop's Cleeve, Gloucestershire when deciding which sites should...

      Hazardous Waste Sites

      Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the safety implications of the transportation of hazardous waste.

      Pair Trawling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to licence pair trawling in British inshore waters.

      Pair Trawling

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action is taken to enforce rules relating to pair trawling of British inshore waters by Spanish vessels.

      Peregrine Falcon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate she has made of the size of the peregrine falcon population in the UK; and what the size was (a) 10, (b) 20...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many positive reactor cattle subsequently proved to be free of tuberculosis in each of the last five years; how their...

      Warm Front

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish the study funded by her Department into health improvements for families and individuals whose...

      Waste Management

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has put in place to permit waste disposal authorities which will be introducing new private finance...

      Wildlife Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason secondary legislation has not yet been introduced to give effect to powers authorised in 2003 to (a) increase...

  • Transport

    • A249

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) for what reason the Highways Agency does not remove broken-down vehicles on the A249 Iwade to Queensborough new build; (2) if he will make...

    • Air Quality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department has made on the joint Public Service Agreement target to improve rural air quality by meeting the National Air Quality...

      Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average level of carbon dioxide emitted per kilometre driven was for road traffic in each (a) EU and (b) G8 country in the latest year for...

      Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the robustness of the estimates made for carbon emissions for road transport by the National Environmental Technology Centre.

      Carbon Emissions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how the relationship between congestion and carbon emissions is factored into the figures for total carbon dioxide emissions compiled by the National...

      Driving Tests (Gillingham)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the targets are for the length of time between receipt of an application for a driving test and the date of the test in Gillingham.

      Driving Tests (Gillingham)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who audits the performance of the driving test services at Gillingham against their targets.

      Highways Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the annual budget of the Highways Agency is for 2004–05.

      M2

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the remaining part of junctions 5 to 6 on the M2 will be resurfaced using a quieter tarmac.

      Motor Cycle Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the wearing of tinted visors as a safety measure by motor cyclists; and if he will make a statement.

      Navigational Aids (Republic of Ireland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much the Irish Government have agreed to contribute for the Dun Laoghaire project being undertaken by the Commissioners of Irish Lights; and...

      Navigational Aids (Republic of Ireland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the dates of meetings since January between his Department and the Irish Government on navigational aids in the Republic of...

      Regional Transport Boards

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many regional transport boards there will be; when they will be established; what their budget will be for (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07 and...

      Road Developments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major road developments that (a) have been agreed and (b) are under consideration by his Department within the Greater London area.

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards fulfilling the European Commission Recommendation on Enforcement in the Field of Road Safety (2004/245/EC).

      Vehicle Registration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many vehicles have been registered with a statutory off road notification in each year since 1992.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Circle initiative

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) is planning to take in support of the Circle Initiative and business improvement districts.

    • Local Authority Funding

      Mr. Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Pendle council has received in Government grant in real terms since 1996–97; and what the percentage change since 1996–97 has...

      Local Government Pension Scheme

      Mr. O'Brien: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the timing of the introduction of changes to the retirement ages for members of the Local Government Pension Scheme.

  • Treasury

    • Civil Service Jobs

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants have (a) been relocated and (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom.

    • Civil Service Jobs

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the civil service job cuts recommended by the Gershon Review were outside Greater London.

      Civil Service Jobs

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs recommended for relocation by the Lyons Review were also recommended to be cut by the Gershon Review.

      European Constitution

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his Department, with reference to (a)...

      Higher Rate Taxpayers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many higher rate taxpayers there have been in each county in England in each year since 2000; and what percentage of the total they represent in each case.

      Inland Revenue Staff

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff were employed at the Inland Revenue in (a) April 1997 and (b) April 2004; what the reasons were for the change in staff numbers; and if he...

      Invoice Payments

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average length of time was between the date of invoices issued to his Department from a supplier and payment by the Department of the invoice in...

      Pensioners (Income Tax)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of pensioners living in (a) the London borough of Wandsworth and (b) Greater London who pay income tax on their income.

      Timber

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to fund the establishment and maintenance of the central point of expertise on timber.

      VAT (Golf)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from golfing organisations in Scotland relating to VAT.

  • Health

    • Chronic Illnesses and Dementia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of (a) chronic illness and (b) care for dementia in each of the last three years.

    • Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects to publish (a) the responses to his consultation paper Strengthening the Dental Team, (b) the amendments he wishes to make in the light...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research into the NHS dentistry service in the Portsmouth City area in order to determine (a) levels of access to an NHS dentist and...

      Disabled People (Direct Payments)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many direct payments were made by each local authority to disabled people in each year from 2001 to 2003.

      E-Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department's .gov.uk websites comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adopted by the Government in...

      Health White Paper

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to public funds of FIT magazine, as described in the White Paper, Choosing Health, Cm 6374, paragraph 95.

      Leukaemia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children under 15 years of age who (a) died and (b) suffered from leukaemia in each of the last three years who...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the...

      Pregnant Women

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many pregnant women were tested on the NHS for group B streptococcus in each of the last three years; (2) how many babies were born having...

      Primary Care Trusts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the average budget deficit or surplus is for a primary care trust in (a) the area covered by the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic...

      Pulmonary Rehabilitation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that pulmonary rehabilitation is made available to all appropriate patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in line...

      Smoking-related Illness

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the NHS of treating patients with medical conditions deemed to have been linked to the use of tobacco products was in the last 12 months...

  • Home Department

    • Community Support Officers (Detention Powers)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons the detentions of 31 people under the Metropolitan Police Community Support Officer detention power pilot resulted in...

    • National Offender Management Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether budgets for the National Offender Management Service will be held (a) regionally, (b) nationally and (c) locally.

  • Solicitor-General

    • Departmental Websites

      To ask the Solicitor-General whether her Department's .gov.uk websites comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adopted by the Government in 2001; and if...

  • Trade and Industry

    • Broadband National Aggregation Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) the work and (b) the future of the regional broadband aggregation organisations.

    • Broadband National Aggregation Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will make a statement on her plans for the Broadband National Aggregation Board; (2) what funding was provided for the Broadband...

      Concessionary Coal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former mineworkers or beneficiaries are in receipt of concessionary coal in (a) Midlothian, (b) Scotland and (c) the United Kingdom.

      Concessionary Coal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former mineworkers or beneficiaries are in receipt of cash in lieu in (a) Midlothian, (b) Scotland and (c) United Kingdom.

      Departmental Training Courses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) cost to the Department, (b) title and (c) location was of each training course organised by her Department for its staff in each...

      Departmental Training Courses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial penalties were paid in each financial year since 1997–98 to training providers by the Department for training courses...

      Departmental Websites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department's .gov.uk websites comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adopted by the...

      Gas Prices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of the rising price of wholesale gas on domestic consumers.

      Large Combustion Plant Directive

      Mr. Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to announce how she intends to implement the large combustion plant directive; and if she will make a statement.

      Research and Development

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the (a) impact and (b) success of basic research in the UK is being assessed; and how it will be assessed in the future.

      Written Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary Session her Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Republican Sympathisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many incidents of (a) punishment beatings, (b) expulsions and (c) criminal extortion from the owners of commercial enterprises have been...

    • Belfast City Airport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what reasons determined the length of the consultation period in relation to Belfast City Airport's application to increase the number of seats...

      Devolved Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent discussions held in Northern Ireland on the restoration of devolved government.

      Devolved Government

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on recent talks regarding the restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland.

      Peace Process

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the peace process.

      Education Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the funding of education in Northern Ireland.

      Employment (Public Investment)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs have been created in (a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland as a result of public investment in each year since 1997.

      GDP

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the level of (a) gross domestic product and (b) gross value added per hour worked in the Northern Ireland economy was in (i) 1996, (ii)...

      Inward Investment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on inward investment in Northern Ireland.

      Legislation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what pieces of legislation passed in the last 30 years that the Department is responsible for remain to be brought into force, broken down by...

      LMS Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the funding surplus within the LMS scheme was for each school in the South Eastern Education and Library Board in each of the last five...

      Political Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the political situation in Northern Ireland.

      Racist Attacks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the number of racist attacks in Northern Ireland (a) generally and (b) with specific reference to attacks on the...

      Security Situation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the current security situation in Northern Ireland.

      Worktrack

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to replace the Worktrack programme in Northern Ireland.

      Worktrack

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been placed on the Worktrack programme in (a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland in each year since 2000.

  • Prime Minister

    • Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Prime Minister, how many written questions for his Office were unanswered when Parliament Prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of the previous months...

    • President Bush

      To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the actions achieved in 2004 through his diplomatic engagement with President Bush.

      Sir John Day

      To ask the Prime Minister, (1) on how many occasions he has (a) met and (b) spoken to Sir John Day in the last 12 months; what was discussed on each of those occasions; on how many occasions he...

  • Education and Skills

    • Child Allergies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children with severe allergies were denied access to local authority extra-curricular schemes because of the lack of trained staff...

    • Connexions (Prisons)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work is undertaken by the Connexions service in prisons.

      Early Years Education (Somerset)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his estimate is of the percentage of three and four-year-olds in early years education in Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2005; and...

      Entry to Employment Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the future of the Entry to Employment programme.

      Entry to Employment Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places his Department estimated would be taken up by young people on the Entry to Employment programme in each academic year since...

      Entry to Employment Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been provided for the Entry to Employment programme in each year since its establishment; and what future levels of...

      Entry to Employment Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list by Learning and Skills Council area the budgets allocated to fund e2e in (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05.

      Entry to Employment Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Learning and Skills Councils are commissioning European Social Fund bids to replace e2e shortfalls in England.

      Education Maintenance Allowances

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students in Birmingham, Selly Oak constituency are receiving education maintenance allowances.

      International Student Assessment Study

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which civil servants within his Department have direct responsibility for compiling evidence for submission to the OECD Programme for...

      Internet Access (Schools)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have broadband internet access.

      Internet Access (Schools)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made towards the Government target of having all schools online by 2006.

      Internet Access (Schools)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many different companies supply broadband to schools in England.

      Jarvis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public money will be invested in the investigation into the failure of the Jarvis private finance initiative bid for school building.

      Programme for International Student Assessment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what data was omitted from the returns required from his Department by the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2003 study.

      Sector Skills Development Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what the (a) resource budget, (b) staffing levels and (c) administration costs of the Sector Skills Development Agency (i) were in each...

      Selection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what research he has commissioned into the effect of secondary schools using partial selection on the basis of ability on maintained and...

      Single Sex Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of single sex schools.

      Young Mums to be Programme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what arrangements are being put in place to assist the Young Mums To Be programme following reductions in e2e funding; in what form this...

      Young People

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many young people were consulted by his Department on the role of the Children's Commissioner; and what the age-range was of those consulted.

  • International Development

    • Departmental Websites

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether his Department's .gov.uk websites comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adopted by...

    • Developing Countries (Debt)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, how much the UK's share is of the remaining debt owed by developing countries; and if he will make a statement.

      Energy Efficiency

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress the UK Government has made towards implementing commitments made at the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable...

      Ethiopia

      Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department plans to lead the Ethiopia country dialogue as part of the European Water Initiative.

      European Constitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European constitution on the operation of his Department,...

      European Water Initiative

      Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the performance indicators for the European Water Initiative; and which of these have been achieved.

      European Water Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to provide additional resources to the Finance Working Group of the European Union Water Initiative in...

      Haiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what measures the United Kingdom is taking to support the Government of Haiti in stopping environmental degradation in that country.

      Haiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the UK made a contribution to bi-lateral assistance in Haiti during the meeting of donor countries in Washington in July.

      Haiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have to support efforts to bring peace and prosperity to Haiti.

      Haiti

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will second staff from his Department to work in the European Commission's delegation to Haiti.

      Russian Federation (Children)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent support he has given to projects in the Russian Federation aimed at improving facilities for (a) street children, (b)...

      Water and Sanitation

      Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans his Department has to monitor the success of its dialogue with main partner governments who have not...

      Yasser Arafat (Estate)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate his Department has made of the amount of funds in US dollars which originated from (a) United Kingdom bilateral aid and...

  • Scotland

    • European Constitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his Department, with reference to...

    • Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of...

  • Defence

    • Asset Tracking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made in establishing a system of asset tracking for defence logistics.

    • Battlefield Digital Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) Major J. A. Kennedy's presentation Real-Time Exchange of Battlefield Digital Information, given at the SMI...

      Certain Conventional Weapons Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the UK to ratify Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.

      Certain Conventional Weapons Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the countries which have ratified Protocol V to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons; what action he has taken to encourage...

      Cooneen Watts and Stone

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which elements of the Department's cut and sew contract with Cooneen Watts and Stone Ltd. have been satisfied to date.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his target time is in 2004–05 (a) to reply to letters from honourable Members and (b) for the officials in his Office to reply to letters...

      Defence Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the date of contract signature was for the (a) Support Vehicle, (b) Light Forces Anti-Tank Guided Weapon Systems, (c) Next Generation Anti-Armour...

      Departmental Account Codes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of his Department's account codes.

      Departmental Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of refurbishing each Ministerial Private Office was in the last two years.

      Departmental Websites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department's .gov.uk websites comply with the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines adopted by the Government in...

      EU Military Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many EU Military Staff there are, broken down by (a) rank and (b) nationality.

      Human Rights Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what has been the cost in (a) legal fees to defend cases...

      Lost Flying Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will list (a) the average flying hours lost per month at airbases in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Scotland and (b) the flying hours per month...

      Red Reflection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the ability of the successful contractor to meet deadlines for the supply of Red Reflection clothing and other...

      Royal Irish Regiment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy that the Home Service part-time officers and soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment are deemed to be casual workers for the...

      Royal Irish Regiment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Home Service part-time soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment have been charged since 1 July 2000 under section 69(a) of the Army Act 1955 for...

      Runway De-icing Chemicals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who supplies the RAF with runway de-icing chemicals; and how much the contract was worth in each of the last three years.

      Runway De-icing Chemicals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether shortages have been experienced in runway de-icing chemicals for RAF and other service airfields; and if he will make a statement.

      UK Eurofighter

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the latest cost of the UK Eurofighter above the original estimate is.

      Uniforms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether uniforms made in China have been issued to service personnel.

      Warship Command Systems

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what risk assessments were made on the proposal to run the command systems for future Royal Navy warships on the Microsoft Windows operating system; what...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Arts Council Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding the Arts Council has given to theatre in each of the last three years; and what proportion of total Arts Council...

    • Athletics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with UK Sport on the funding formula for performance athletes.

      Commonwealth Institute Building

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will place in the Library (a) the report she commissioned from English Heritage on the de-listing of the Commonwealth Institute...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 27 September.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 21 October.

      Cricket

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what agreements made by her Department govern negotiations for new television rights for (a) international and (b) first-class cricket.

      Cricket

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with the England and Wales Cricket Board on the England cricket tour to Zimbabwe.

      Cricket

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions she has had with (a) UK Sport and (b) the England and Wales Cricket Board on the proposed International Cricket...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff there were in her Department in each year since 1997.

      Departmental Telephone Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her policy is on the use of telephones by members of staff in her Department for personal use relating to (a) domestic calls and...

      Departmental Telephone Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she has taken to ensure that telephones in her Department are not used by staff making unauthorised personal calls to...

      Departmental Telephone Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimates she has made of the cost to her Department of unauthorised personal calls made by members of staff to (a) domestic...

      Digital Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has held with (a) the European Commission and (b) other European Union member states regarding the...

      Digital Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice she has sought regarding the parameters permitted by European state aid laws for the funding arrangements of plans to switch...

      Digital Television

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what advice SwitchCo has sought regarding the parameters permitted by European State Aid laws for (a) its structure, (b) its funding and...

      Free TV Licences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people in Pendle receive the free television licence for the over 75s.

      Free TV Licences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the effect the implementation of the EU Directive on Age Discrimination will have on the free TV licence...

      Horseracing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects the British Horseracing Board to complete its assessment of the impact of the European Court of Justice's recent ruling.

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the benefits to Northern Ireland of the Olympic Games being held in London in 2012.

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether football matches are planned to take place in Northern Ireland as part of the bid for a London Olympics in 2012.

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much she estimates has been spent in promoting the 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

      School Sport

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (1) she expects the Public Service Agreement (PSA) to increase the percentage of school children in England who spend a...

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to assist small tourism enterprises in the use of information technology.

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to VisitBritain for e-tourism; and if she will make a statement.

      Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to increase expenditure on the tourism sector outside London.

      Training Courses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the (a) cost to the Department, (b) title and (c) location was of each training course organised by her Department for its staff in...

      Training Courses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial penalties were paid in each financial year since 1997–98 to training providers by the Department for training...

      Video Conferencing Units

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many video conferencing units are installed in (a) the Department and (b) each agency of the Department; what percentage of offices...

      World Heritage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps during the UK membership of the World Heritage Committee to ensure that (a) Sagarmartha national park in Nepal,...

  • Wales

    • European Constitution

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his Department, with reference to (a)...

    • Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written questions tabled in the last parliamentary session his Department had been unable to provide a substantive answer before the end of the...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament Prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled in each of...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Equatorial Guinea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether (a) he, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) officials had discussions in an official capacity with the former right...

    • Hamas

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether the Government was consulted about the discussions held by the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security...

      Iraq (Elections)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been received from the interim Iraqi Government for assistance in the January elections.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for a conference in London on the Middle East peace process; and if he will make a statement.

      Overseas Contracts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the success of British companies in winning government contracts in other European countries.

      Palestinian Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurance he has (a) sought from and (b) been given by the Israeli Government that elections for the Palestinian Authority...

      Sudan

      Mr. Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with the Government in Sudan on the situation there.

      UK Embassies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are employed (a) from his Department and (b) locally by the commercial department of the UK Embassy in Vienna.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Financial Assistance Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies he has had discussions with regarding contributions to the Financial Assistance Scheme; and how much each of them has agreed to...

    • IT Systems

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many different IT systems hold customer benefit data; and what plans he has to integrate those systems.

      Myasthenia Gravis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on benefit entitlement for those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many written questions for his Department were unanswered when Parliament Prorogued; and how many of the unanswered questions were tabled...

      Theft and Fraud

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will launch an inquiry into the levels of theft and fraud in his Department committed by officials and contractors.

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) men and (b) women in Pendle receive the winter fuel allowance.

      Winter Fuel Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many (a) people and (b) households in the Weston-Super-Mare constituency were (i) eligible to receive and (ii) received the winter fuel...

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Court Closures

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will list the (a) magistrates courts and (b) county courts which have been closed since May 1997.

    • European Constitution

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, if he will make a statement on the effect of the coming into force of the European Constitution on the operation of his...

      Fines Enforcement

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, how many people were working on fines enforcement for each magistrates courts on (a) 1 April of each year since 2001 and...

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Royal Charters there are.

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will list Royal Charters which have been amended in the last 10 years.

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many Royal Charters have been (a) awarded and (b) cancelled in each of the last 30 years.

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps are taken to enforce conditions attached to Royal Charters; and who is responsible for such enforcement.

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the Government's policy is on the future award of Royal Charters.

      Royal Charters

      To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what process is followed in order to alter the terms of Royal Charters.

  • House of Lords

    • Northern Ireland: Departmental Budgets

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the allocated budget for each Northern Ireland department for 2003–04; and, in each case, how much was spent.

    • Health Funding

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In the light of the recent report from the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (Outside London) on the disparities between health need and health...

      Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What measures they will take during the current Session of Parliament to reduce the harm caused by alcohol consumption, which has been estimated at £20 billion.

      NHS: Continuing Care

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether all strategic health authorities have now (a) identified those incorrectly charged for continuing care; and (b) reviewed their continuing care...

      Social Workers

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What proportion of social workers have now (a) successfully registered or (b) sent in their applications to the General Social Care Council.

      Multiple Sclerosis: Aimspro

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How widely the drug Aimspro is available in the National Health Service to treat sufferers of multiple sclerosis.

      Abortion: Under 16 Year-olds

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the absolute number, and rate per population, of abortions performed on those under 16 years of age for each of the past 10 years; and what are the...

      Smallpox: Vaccinia Immunoglobulin

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answers by the Lord Warner on 18 November (WA 219), how many doses of vaccinia immunoglobulin are contained in the procurement programme...

      Hearing Aids

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the current total average cost to the National Health Service of providing a digital hearing aid for the whole of the patient journey, including the...

      School Budgets

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, in view of the delay in announcing the revenue support settlement for local authorities until the second week of December, they will suspend the...

      Gambling Bill

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What the impact of the proposed Gambling Bill will be on charitable giving and the National Lottery.

      Eurostar: Maintenance Depots

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Statement by the Minister of State for Transport on 15 November (HC Deb, 68–69 WS), announcing the movement of Eurostar's maintenance depot to...

      Eurostar: Maintenance Depots

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why the recently announced Eurostar maintenance facility will cost £402 million, given that the recently constructed Thames Trains maintenance facility at...

      Railways: Suicides

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many reported suicides on the railways of England and Wales there have been in each of the past 10 years.

      Parking Fees: Spending of Surpluses

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How they will respond to the call by the National Parking Adjudication Service in its annual report that high-performing councils should not be able to widen the...

      Traffic Management Act 2004: Regulations

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What steps they are taking to ensure that local government ombudsmen are consulted on the enforcement and appeals regulations of the Traffic Management Act 2004...

      Traffic Management Act 2004: Regulations

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What consideration they are giving to calls by the National Parking Adjunction Service to provide them with an express power in regulations made under the Traffic...

      Congestion Charge

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What assessment they have made of the effects of the congestion charge in central London on parking levels and parking revenue; and whether they will make that...

      Traffic Enforcement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will undertake research into council traffic enforcement and the operations of private sector contractors; and whether they will publish a report of...

      Traffic Management Act 2004: Council Funding

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will provide local councils with further funds to cover the duties placed on them by the Traffic Management Act 2004.

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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