Written answers

Tuesday, 9 May 2006

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Animal Welfare

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list her Department's (a) advisory bodies and (b) committees concerned with animal health and welfare; and if...

    • Avian Influenza

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact on the poultry industry of cases of avian influenza being identified in...

      Avian Influenza

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support has been given to assist the poultry industry in the UK to deal with the effects on sales as a result of avian...

      Biological Diversity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2006, Official Report, columns 813-4W, on biological diversity, what contribution she...

      Game Rearing Farms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2005, Official Report, column 553W, on game rearing farms, what the reasons are for the...

      John Pointon and Sons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which body is responsible for regulating the activities of animal rendering plants, with particular reference to John Pointon...

      Natural England

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of hectares of land which would be owned by Natural England; what percentage of this...

      Poultry Farmers (Subsidies)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on financial support for poultry farmers in other EU countries; and if...

      Voluntary Shops

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what Government support is available to develop voluntary shops in village communities.

  • Treasury

    • 1921 Census

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what statutory authority the Registrar General retained the 1921 decennial census for England and Wales in his Department between1 January 1959 and 16...

    • Birth Statistics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast he has made of the number of live births per 1,000 of population in (a) East Sussex and (b) Eastbourne in each of the next five years.

      Birth Statistics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many live births per 1,000 of population there have been in (a) East Sussex and (b) Eastbourne in each of the last 10 years.

      Birth Statistics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) live births and (b) still births have occurred at (i) Eastbourne district general hospital and (ii) the Conquest hospital, Hastings, in each...

      Bowel Cancer

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) incidence and (b) survival rate was for bowel cancer in each (i) goverment office region and (ii) strategic health authority area in each of...

      Finance (No.2) Bill

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what (a) research and (b) other information was used to inform his conclusions regarding the number of people affected by Clause 157 and Schedule 20...

      HMRC Premises

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what requirements have been placed on HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in relation to accessibility of its customer-facing offices to public transport; and...

      Pensions (Public Sector)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many public sector employees were covered by final salary pension schemes in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005.

      Prostate Cancer

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the number of cases of prostate cancer in each English county for each year from 1990-91 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

      Reptiles

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many reptiles were imported into (a) the UK and (b) the EU each year between 2000 and 2005; and how many were of (i) wild-caught, (ii) captive-bred,...

      Staff Discipline

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in his Department have been (a) disciplined and (b) dismissed for (i) inappropriate use of the internet while at work and (ii) using work...

      Suicide

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have committed suicide in each year since 1997, broken down by method used.

      Vehicle Excise Duty

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of vehicle excise duty collected was spent on (a) the maintenance of roads and (b) public transport in each of the last five years.

      White Papers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many White Papers were published by his Department in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

  • Prime Minister

    • Journalists' Air Travel

      To ask the Prime Minister (1) pursuant to the answer of 4 May 2006 to question 67852, how charges to journalists are calculated for their air travel when accompanying him on overseas trips; (2)...

  • International Development

    • Centre for the Development of Enterprise

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the establishment of the Centre for the Development of Enterprise.

    • Developing Countries (Corruption)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to tackle corruption in developing countries.

      Family Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration about (a) condom use, (b) maternal health, (c) access to safe abortion...

      Malaria

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being made by his Department (a) to treat and (b) to reduce the incidence of malaria in developing countries.

      Palestinian Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on increased funding to the Palestinian territories through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.

      Palestinian Territories

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the merits of (a) non-governmental organisations and (b) private sector initiatives funding as a means...

      Pygmies (Congo Basin)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to provide support for pygmies in the Congo basin who have been affected by conflict.

      Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

      Sex Tourism

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to work with developing countries to tackle sex tourism, with particular reference to that...

      Sexual Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department (a) to reduce the incidence of sexual violence in Democratic Republic of theCongo and...

      Sexual Violence

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps are being taken by his Department to provide (a) psychological counselling for rape victims, (b) education for communities...

      Sierra Leone

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the percentage of the population of Sierra Leone which (a) lives below the poverty line and (b) lives on...

      Sierra Leone

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to help Sierra Leone develop policies to enable its Government to generate income from (a)...

      Sierra Leone

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of the population of Sierra Leone has access to (a) free education and basic healthcare and (b) fresh water; and what...

      White Papers

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many White Papers were published by his Department in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

  • Transport

    • Aircraft (Air Supply)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Civil Aviation Authority has started an investigation into the chronic neurotoxic effects of exposure to pyrolised engine oils via...

    • Cabotage Directive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the EU Directive relating to cabotage on the UK haulage industry.

      Corporate Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

      Departmental Websites

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list (a) the websites operated by his Department and (b) the reports placed on the internet in March 2006, indicating in each case whether...

      Disabled Access

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to enforce the disability equality duty on train operating companies.

      GNER (Leeds/London)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with GNER concerning its plans to increase the number of Leeds to London trains; and if he will make a statement.

      Humber Sea Terminals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the Harbour Revision Order for Humber Sea Terminals (Phase 3) to be signed; and if he will make a statement.

      London Underground

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make representations to Transport for London to ensure that (a) underground stations are not closed and (b) services are not subject to...

      MOT Computer System

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what provisions he has made to compensate garage owners for technical difficulties with the new MOT computer system.

      Night Flight Restrictions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he plans to announce a decision in relation to the Night Flights Restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted Consultation; and if he will make...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had since the beginning of 2005 with (a) directors and (b) employees of Network Rail to discuss extra rail capacity for open...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with (a) the Office of the Rail Regulator, (b) potential bidders, (c) Network Rail and (d) Passenger Focus about the...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the rail franchise contracts that have been awarded in the last two years; and what the (a) premium or subsidy payable and (b) length...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the award of franchises on the East Coast rail line.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information a bidder is required to give about its services for disabled people within the tender evaluation process for rail franchising; and...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that Ivybridge has a rail service and timetable that is viable for (a) commuters and (b) students.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to be able to announce how much will be available from the savings made by the reduction in the Sunderland-Newcastle rail service to...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) GNER trains, (b) Virgin trains, (c) Northern trains and (d) First trains have been fined for late running of trains in each year since...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when HM Railway Inspectorate last visited Llansamlet railway station; and what conclusions were drawn from the visit.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken at Llansamlet railway station (a) to improve passenger security, (b) to reduce vandalism, (c) to improve passenger...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to incorporate the Westcountry coast line between Exeter and Plymouth in the Trans European Network.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the electrification of the Wrexham to Bidston railway line.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum speed regularly attained by (a) passenger and (b) freight trains is on the North Wales coast line between Chester and Holyhead.

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of Statefor Transport how many (a) incidents of objects thrown at or dropped on moving railway vehicles, (b) derailments, (c) incidents of livestock wandering onto the...

      Sea Defences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been allocated to maintain the sea defences along the stretch of railway track at Dawlish in each of the next three years; and how much...

      Ship-to-ship Oil Transfers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the plans to regulate ship to ship oil transfer are on schedule; and if he will make a statement.

      Ship-to-ship Oil Transfers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the economic effects of ship to ship oil transfer on (a) HM Treasury, (b) ports authorities and (c) surrounding local...

      Taxi Access (Disabled People)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Government will publish taxi access regulations under Part 5 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

      Transport Regulations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of (a) Regulation 16, (b) Regulation 18 and (c) Schedule 3 of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use)...

      Transport Regulations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989; and what recent representations he has received about the...

  • Scotland

    • Joint Ministerial Committee

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the Joint Ministerial Committee last met.

    • Manufacturing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the future of Scotland's manufacturing industry.

      Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to ensure that the energy review takes account of the views of the energy industry and energy consumers in Scotland.

      Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with Ministers in the Department for Trade and Industry on the commercial development of tidal energy in the Pentland Firth;...

      Personal Debt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on levels of personal debt in Scotland.

      Barnett Formula

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received on the socio-economic effects of the Barnett formula in Scotland.

      Voting Rights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the voting rights of hon. Members representing Scottish seats on issues which do not affect Scotland.

      TV Licences

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the BBC and Cabinet colleagues on television licences in Scotland.

      Loan Sharks

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on the work of the loan sharks pilot scheme in Scotland.

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Sexual Offences (Anonymity)

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Home Department on anonymity during court proceedings for those accused of sexual...

    • Compulsory Voting

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether her Department has considered recent studies on the merits of compulsory voting; and if she will make a statement.

      Electoral Fraud

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent estimate she has made of the incidence of electoral fraud.

      Court Houses (Private Finance Initiative)

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many court houses have been built by means of a private finance initiative in the last five years.

      Court Modernisation (East Anglia)

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she next expects to meet representatives of the lay magistracy to discuss the modernisation of courts in East Anglia.

      Asylum Seekers (Local Franchises)

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what criteria the Legal Services Commission will use to award local franchises for services to asylum seekers.

      Electoral Turnout

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps his Department is taking to increase voter turn-out.

      Human Rights Act

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance his Department has issued on the applicability of the Human Rights Act 1998 to residential homes for the elderly...

      NGOs (Financial Initiatives)

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what initiatives his Department and its non-departmental bodies support to promote (a) financial education, (b) financial...

      Recruitment

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Portcullis House

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans the Commission has to review the use of voice messages in the lifts in Portcullis House.

    • House Expenditure

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what the procedures are for approving expenditure by the House of between £100,000 and£1 million;...

      Recycling

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the Commission has taken to increase the recycling of office waste on the House estate.

  • Leader of the House

    • Back-Bench Debates

      To ask the Leader of the House if he will bring forward proposals to allocate parliamentary time on the floor of the House for debates on motions to be chosen by Back-Bench hon. Members.

    • Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Leader of the House what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues regarding tabling of parliamentary questions during recesses.

  • Education and Skills

    • English Teaching

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of posts for teaching English in secondary schools are (a) vacant and (b) held by someone without a first degree in English.

    • Examination Results

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the (a) GCSE, (b) A-level and (c) key stage results were for the 100 (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools with the (A) highest...

      Extended School Provision

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding is available for extended school provision for children in (a) Tameside metropolitan borough and (b) Stockport metropolitan...

      Foreign Languages

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unfilled vacancies there are for teachers of modern foreign languages in secondary schools.

      GCSEs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children educated at home achieved five GCSEs graded at A* to C by the age of 16 in each of the last five years.

      Head Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools did not have a permanent head teacher in the course of each of the past 10...

      Healthy School Status

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of schools in each local authority have achieved healthy school status.

      Information Sharing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of the UK population aged 15 years and under that will be registered on the Information...

      Pupil Exclusion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much each local education authority spent on (a) excluded pupils and (b) pupils in (i) pupil referral units, (ii) behaviour support...

      RU Thinking About It?

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much his Department has given to the RU Thinking About It? website in each month since its inception; and if he will make a statement.

      RU Thinking About It?

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with the organisers of the RU Thinking About It? website about (a) the type of material and (b) the accuracy...

      School Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of the overall budget for schools was spent on (a) departmental administration and contractors and consultants and (b)...

      School Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the education budget for schools was in each year since 1997.

      School Sports Partnerships

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects all schools to be part of a school sports partnership; what progress has been made towards this target; and if he will make...

      Sure Start

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new Sure Start centres his Department plans to open by the end of 2008.

      Sure Start

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the budget for Sure Start will be in 2008-09, expressed in terms of funds (a) per Sure Start centre and (b) per head of anticipated...

      Sure Start

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many under-fives entitled to free nursery places on the Sure Start scheme are on waiting lists in Tamworth constituency; (2) how...

      Teachers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) primary and (b) secondary (i) head teacher and (ii) deputy head teacher posts in England had been vacant for more than three...

      Truancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the truancy levels were in schools in (a) Carlisle constituency, (b) Cumbria and (c) England in each year since 1996.

      Truancy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of truancy programmes has been since 1997; and what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of each programme.

      Trust Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether he plans (a) to establish a separate team and (b) to employ consultants to promote trust schools.

      Trust Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what specific powers will trust schools have in determining and shaping their own curriculum.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Problem Gamblers (Tamworth)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of problem gamblers in Tamworth constituency.

    • Sport England North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role Ministers had in (a) devising and (b) approving the scheme for Sport England North West to distribute lottery funds to firms...

      Sport England North West

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what involvement (a) the Minister for Sport and (b) other Ministers in her Department have had with Sport England North West's pilot...

  • Cabinet Office

    • Guide to Legislative Procedure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether he plans to issue an updated version of the Guide to Legislative Procedure; when it was last updated; whom he consulted prior to...

    • Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations he has received on the Legislative and Regulatory Reform Bill.

      Recruitment

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on recruitment, search and selection agencies in each of the last five years.

  • Defence

    • Civilian Guard Force

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the civilian guard force have suffered gunshot injuries in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland, (c) England and Wales and (d)...

    • Iran (Military Operations)

      To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence what his assessment is of the advancesin military technology claimed by Iran during recent military operations in the straits of Hormuz; and if he will...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the level of infiltration by militias into the Iraqi security forces in Multi-National Division South East.

      Trident

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has spent on the development and production of the Mark 98 Mod 7 Fire Control System for Trident; when the system is due to enter...

  • Wales

    • Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales pursuant to the oral answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, of 3 May 2006 , Official Report, column 957, on NHS dentistry, if he will...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to question 63679, on Ascension Island, what the focus of discussions was on each of the seven meetings...

    • Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent by the UK Government on infrastructure and services on Ascension Island in each year since 1997.

      Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the standard amount of time is that people who have ended their work contract with one of the main users on Ascension...

      Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how and where vacancies with the main users on Ascension Island are advertised; and whether (a) (i) current and (i) previous...

      Ascension Island

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2006, Official Report, column 2047W, on Ascension Island, what plans she has for further...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will take steps to place the situation in Burma on the agenda of the UN Security Council; and what assistance the UK...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) EU foreign nationals and (b) non-EU foreign nationals have been employed in her Department in each of the last...

      EU Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the reason is for the difference between the figures for the European Union's budget for administration costs over the next...

      Export Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2006, Official Report, column 860W, on arms exports, on how many occasions since 1997 the...

      Export Licensing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 April 2006, Official Report, column 860W, on arms exports, with what frequency reviews of risk...

      Honours (Non-UK Citizens)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will list the individuals who are not UK citizens who in the period 1 January 2004 to 30 April 2005 were awarded honours;...

      Indonesia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the UK Government have made tothe Indonesian authorities about the situation of Christians in Indonesia.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the possible effects of economic sanctions on Iran on the world economy, with particular...

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 304W, on Iran, what assessment she has made of Iranian...

      Israel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of Israel's Security Fence is outside Israel's borders as they existed in 1967; and if she will make a statement.

      Memoranda of Understanding (Deportees)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of comments by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that the practice of seeking...

      Memoranda of Understanding (Deportees)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights about the use of memoranda of understanding...

      Memoranda of Understanding (Deportees)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances the Government have received in relation to whether countries with which the UK has memoranda of understanding...

      Memoranda of Understanding (Deportees)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by the Government to monitor the treatment of people sent to countries with which the UK has a...

      Memoranda of Understanding (Deportees)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the decision of the Council of Europe not to develop guidelines for the acceptable...

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what mechanisms the EU is considering for the delivery of aid to health and education projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip;...

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds have been provided by the EU to build the institutional fabric of the Palestinian Authority in the last five years;...

      Nepal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of human rights in Nepal.

      Nuclear Weapons Convention

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the feasibility of a further nuclear weapons convention; and if she will make a statement.

      Palestinian Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Quartet counterparts regarding Russia's decision to fund the new Palestinian Authority;...

      Peru

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Government of Peru about (a) the re-emergence of the Shining Path guerrilla group...

      RAF Wideawake

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the US Administration has paid for the use of RAF Wideawake in each year since 1997.

      Rendition

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 88W, on rendition, whether the derivation of the legal...

      Son Jong Nam

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will meet representatives of Christian Solidarity Worldwide to discuss the case of Mr. Son Jong Nam, sentenced to death...

      Turkey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when her Department last lodged an official complaint about human rights abuses in Turkey; and if she will make a statement.

      Turkey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the treatment of detainees held following recent protests in south-eastern Turkey; and if...

      Turkmenistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her EU counterparts about (a) human rights in, (b) trade with and (c) gas reserves...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Attracta Harron

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions between September 2003 and 11 December 2003 the person subsequently convicted of the murder of Attracta Harron received a...

    • Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children received cancer treatment in Northern Ireland in (a) 1999, (b) 2001, (c) 2003 and (d) 2005, broken down by (i) council...

      Corporate Hospitality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions (a) he and (b) the other Ministers in his Department have accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

      Dental Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will collect and collate statistics on (a) the incidence of childhood dental caries, (b) childhood and adult obesity and (c) the number...

      DXA Scanning Machines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many DXA scanning machines are available in Northern Ireland.

      Eating Disorders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 476W, on eating disorders, how many people in Northern Ireland were estimated...

      Education Minister

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the Department of Education has spent in Northern Ireland to...

      Fair Employment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he plans to implement the findings of the Exception of Teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment (Northern Ireland) Order 1998 report...

      General Practitioners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average number of patients registered per general practitioner in Northern Ireland was in (a) 1995 and (b) 2005.

      Herceptin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients with early stage breast cancer in Northern Ireland are receiving Herceptin on the NHS.

      Housing Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was to the public purse of the Northern Ireland Housing Council in each of the last three years.

      Medical Services (Complaints)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many complaints have been received by each health trust in Northern Ireland in relation to (a) mental health-related and (b) general...

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many visits were made by each Minister in his Department in each of the last three years to each (a) constituency and (b) council area.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list his visits to Northern Ireland together with the purpose and duration of each such visit since 1 January.

      Ministerial Working Hours

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what average number of hours per week each Minister in his Department spent working in each of the Departments for which they are responsible in...

      MRI Scanners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many MRI scanners are operating in NHS hospitals in Northern Ireland; where they are located; and what their average monthly usage was in...

      Nuisance Hedges

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the proposal for legislation to tackle nuisance hedges was first raised with his Department by an hon. Member; and if he will make a...

      Nursing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the number of nurses in the Province who have left the NHS in each of the last 10 years; and what assessment he has...

      On-the-runs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that any future proposals which deal with the issue of 'on-the-runs' will be subjected to equality impact assessments.

      Route Development Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent from the Route Development Fund on flights into and out of Northern Ireland in 2005.

      School Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average funding per child was in each (a) grammar school and (b) other secondary school in Northern Ireland in each of the past 10 years.

      Sure Start

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of children are on Sure Start schemes in each (a) ward, (b) county and (c) constituency in Northern Ireland.

  • Home Department

    • Criminal Justice and Court Services Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 has not yet been brought into force.

    • Criminal Records Bureau

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to remove people wrongfully included on the Criminal Records Bureau database.

      Criminal Records Bureau

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Criminal Records Bureau checks have been carried out since they were introduced.

      Death Penalty

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965; and what recent representations he has...

      DNA Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which (a) individuals and (b) bodies are authorised to access the National DNA Database.

      DNA Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many volunteers providing DNA elimination samples have consented to the addition of their DNA profile to the National DNA Database in...

      DNA Database

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many criminal cases familiar searching of the National DNA Database has been used in each year since 1997.

      DNA Sampling

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations are approved to provide (a) DNA profiles and (b) crime scene samples.

      Forensic Integration Strategy

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what projects are being undertaken under the Forensic Integration Strategy; and if he will make a statement.

      Harry Hammond

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 April 2006, Official Report, column 320W, on Mr. Harry Hammond, if he will posthumously strike Mr. Hammond's...

      Identity Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans for the management of the identity card database.

      Identity Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for remote reading of identity cards; and if he will make a statement.

      Identity Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of people who will reapply for passports before their expiry date in advance of passports being...

      Identity Cards

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 15 February 2006, Official Report, column 2128W, on the identity cards scheme, whether the total staff costs for...

      Immigration Detention (Children)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that children subject to immigration control have their needs represented by the Commissioners for Children and Young...

      Informants

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the incidence of the illegal use of prison inmates as informants; what steps he is taking to reduce the...

      Kelly Hutchinson

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the death in custody of Kelly Hutchinson.

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times covert surveillance has been used in investigations involving staff within the Prison Service in each of the last three years.

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether disciplinary proceedings were (a) instigated, (b) progressed and (c) successfully concluded against prison staff as a result of...

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many covert surveillance operations were deployed within each regional area of the Prison Service in each of the last 12 months.

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist to authorise the appropriate use of covert surveillance techniques in the Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he last met the Surveillance Commissioner to discuss (a) the use of covert surveillance in the Prison Service and (b) the performance...

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to improve the use of covert surveillance in prisons; and if he will make a statement.

      Prison Service (Covert Surveillance)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether covert surveillance techniques in the Prison Service include the authorised use of in-cell surveillance; and if he will make a statement.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to improve levels of constructive activity and the availability of quality intervention programmes for 18 to...

      Rathbone Charity

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement onthe work of the Rathbone charity at (a) HM Young Offender Institution Feltham, (b) HM Young Offender...

      Sex Offenders (Extradition)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many alleged sex offenders have been extradited from the US to the UK in each of the last five years.

      Stephen Ayre

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the conclusions of the probation service review into the case of Stephen Ayre will be made public.

      Train Fare Evasion

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for evading a train fare in each of the last eight years.

      Young Offenders Establishments

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made at each young offender establishment in the self-assessment against the code of practice outlined in Managing...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Fire and Rescue Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many staff members employed by each local authority fire and rescue service are members of the (a) Retained Firefighters...

    • Fire and Rescue Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many consultants her Department has employed on fire services-related projects, and at what cost, in each of the last five years.

      Holiday Accommodation Tax

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research her Department has undertaken into the effect of a hotel, tourist or bed tax.

  • Health

    • Abortions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many terminations of pregnancies were performed on (a) 13 to 14 and (b) 15 to 16 year olds in each of the last five years; and if she will make a...

    • Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 March 2006, Official Report, column 254W, to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley), on autism, what...

      Autism

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are being undertaken by her Department to increase awareness of autism among health professionals.

      Care Homes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the merits of including a value for money assessment in the inspection reports of care homes for older people...

      Child Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nursery and creche places are provided for people working in her Department; what charges are made for the provision of such services; and what...

      Children's Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged between four and five received pre-school vision screening in the most recent period for which figures are available.

      Children's Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies received hearing screening during the first month of their life during the most recent period for which figures are available.

      Children's Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has madeof the impact on service users of changes planned for (a) speech and language therapy, (b) paediatric...

      Children's Hospices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list children's hospices which are receiving grants from the Big Lottery Fund; when this funding will cease in each case; whether she plans to...

      Children's Hospices

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future funding of children's hospices.

      Colonoscopy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects the remaining four programme hubs in the bowel cancer screening programme to be decided by the NHS cancer screening programme teams; and...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists signed the dental contract "in dispute".

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on recall interval between dental...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in the (a) Tameside and Glossop and (b) Stockport Primary Care Trust have signed the new NHS dental contract; and what percentage this...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were registered for NHS dentistry in Morecambe Bay Primary Care Trust in each year since 1997.

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists doing NHS work have signed the new NHS dental contract in dispute in each primary care trust in England; and if she will make a statement.

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis the number of people registered with a dentist will be recorded following changes to the system for such registration.

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible dentists in the area covered by the Burntwood, Lichfield and Tamworth Primary Care Trust had accepted the NHS dental contract...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were practising within the Bexley Primary Care Trust area in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005.

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of (a) adults and (b) children are registered with an NHS dentist in each primary care trust in Devon; how many were registered in each...

      Dentistry

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS dentists were practising within Horsham and Chactonbury Primary Care Trust area in each year for which records are available.

      Enzyme Replacement Therapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the funding of enzyme replacement therapies for lysosomal storage diseases will continue under the national specialist commissioning advisory...

      Fruit/Vegetable Consumption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average fruit and vegetable consumption per person was in the UK in each year since 1997, broken down by household income.

      Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many care homes registered as catering for the needs of (a) people aged over 65 with mental illness and (b) people aged between 18 and 65 with...

      Midwives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacant midwife posts there are in (a) the North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority area and (b) the East...

      NHS Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional funding has been provided to implement Agenda for Change in the Trent Strategic Health Authority in each financial year since 2004-05; and...

      Opportunities for Volunteering Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what allocation of grants has been made from the opportunities for volunteering scheme in 2006-07.

      Osteoporosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts have an integrated falls and osteoporosis service.

      Osteoporosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to include chiropractors in the musculoskeletal services framework being developed by her Department; and if she will make...

      Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much each primary care trust has allocated to palliative care for 2006-07.

      Palliative Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the process is for commissioning children's palliative care; and what plans she has for the reform of these arrangements.

      Patient Transport Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on private sector transportation of patients in the (a) Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust area and (b)...

      Photodynamic Therapy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she is taking (a) to raise awareness and (b) to promote the use of photodynamic therapy for skin cancer patients; (2) what plans she...

      Preventive Technology Grant

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of the preventive technology grant will be; and how it will be distributed.

      Psoriasis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what health technology assessment has been carried out of alternative treatments for psoriasis.

      Psoriasis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many courses of treatment for psoriasis there were in each (a) Government office region and (b) strategic health authority area in the last three...

      Section 64 Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will establish contingency plans to mitigate the impact of delays in decisions regarding Section 64 (Health Services and Public Health Act 1968)...

      Self-harm

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to hospitals on dealing with patients who self-harm on site.

      Serious Case Reviews

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many serious case reviews for vulnerable adults have been carried out; and in how many cases the serious case review involved the murder of a...

      Specialised Commissioning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her review of specialised commissioning arrangements has included consultation with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists.

      Transient Families

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent steps she has taken to improve co-operation between the Department and the Welsh Assembly Government on tracking vulnerable adults from...

      Voluntary Organisations (Compact Agreements)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which voluntary organisations the Department has a formal national Compact agreement.

      Wynne Lieberthal

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she has received information from the Minister of Defence of the Irish Republic about (a) the agency known as Medicare Solutions based in...

  • House of Lords

    • Afghanistan: Helmand Province

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether substantive and acceptable arrangements have been made with Pakistan to secure the overland supply routes into the British area of operations in the...

    • Armed Forces: Eurofighter Typhoon

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the sale of Eurofighter Typhoon to Saudi Arabia will result in a slower rate of Typhoon build up within the Royal Air Force.

      Armed Forces: Expeditionary Air Wings

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the establishment of aircraft by categories of each of the Expeditionary Air Wings (EAW), as announced by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March; and when...

      Armed Forces: RAF Logistics

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How the work of the Royal Air Force logistics and communications hubs will be integrated into the Defence Logistics Organisation.

      Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many children are estimated to be affected by (a) parental alcohol misuse, and (b) parental drug abuse in (i) England; (ii) England and Wales; and (iii) the...

      Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What research they have undertaken into the impact on family life on (a) parental alcohol misuse, and (b) parental drug abuse.

      Children: Parental Drug and Alcohol Use

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What action they are taking following the report by the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Hidden Harm, to provide services to support children of parents...

      Commission for Equality and Human Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When a decision will be made about the lead department to be responsible for the establishment and work of the proposed Commission for Equality and Human Rights.

      Driving Licences

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they plan to increase the age at which a person can hold a driving licence.

      Driving Test

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will consider the introduction of a written section to the driving test before allowing applicants onto the public roads as learner drivers.

      Dyslexia

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What percentage of the population of London they estimate to be dyslexic.

      Energy: Biofuels

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 28 November (WA 2), what progress has been made in developing an assurance scheme to ensure that...

      Iraq: Security

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have assessed the unclassified report by the United States State Department to Congress dated 31 January, and subsequent updates, compiled by a joint...

      Kosovo

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the General Affairs and External Relations Council established the European Union Planning Team for Kosovo at its meeting on 10 April; and when they expect...

      Magistrates' Courts: Wales

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the political composition of each magistrates' court in Wales.

      Parliamentary Ombudsman

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of specific recommendations,...

      Parliamentary Ombudsman

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific...

      Parliamentary Ombudsman

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific...

      Parliamentary Ombudsman

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 29 March (WA 126), on how many occasions since 1997, and in respect of which specific...

      People Trafficking

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they are making a formal response to the report for 2006 by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking; and whether the report makes a case for...

      Prisoners: Identity Numbers

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the prison identity number which is allocated to persons given custodial sentences is specific to the prison in which they are detained or whether the same...

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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