Written answers

Tuesday, 31 October 2006

  • Leader of the House

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Leader of the House if his Office will (a) carry out an age audit of its staff to establish an age profile of its workforce, (b) negotiate an age management policy with trade unions...

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Leader of the House (1) whether his Office recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment; (2) what proportion of vacancies...

      Light Bulbs

      To ask the Leader of the House what proportion of light bulbs purchased by the Privy Council Office in 2005 were of the compact fluorescent type.

      NHS Spending

      To ask the Leader of the House what the basis was for his statement on the Business of the House, 12 October 2006, Official Report, column 450, that spending on the NHS has more than trebled...

  • International Development

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment was made of the methods used to reduce illicit opium poppy cultivation in other countries during the formulation of...

    • African Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department will offer to the African Union for capacity building in Africa in the next 12 months.

      Hippopotami (Virunga National Park)

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with (a) the African Union and (b) the Congolese Government to secure the protection of hippopotami in...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what his estimate is of the total number of internal refugees in Iraq who are homeless, in temporary accommodation or in shelter...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in which relief projects in Darfur his Department is involved.

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much humanitarian aid was allocated to Darfur in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

  • Work and Pensions

    • Child Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the review of his Department's child poverty strategy will conclude; and if he will make a statement.

    • Child Support Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for the transfer of payments through the Child Support Agency to the new rules for the calculation of payments.

      Health and Safety Executive

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive plans to make its guidance books available in electronic format.

      Housing Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the recent decision by the Social Security Commissioner to reduce the level of housing benefit available...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what advice and training on dealing with customers with autistic spectrum disorders is available for employees of Jobcentre Plus; (2)...

      Jobcentre Plus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what training Jobcentre Plus visiting officers have received for advising claimants of the appropriate benefits for their circumstances;...

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Office Equipment (Energy Consumption)

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate he has made of the hourly energy consumption of an (a) (i) desktop and (ii) laptop computer and...

    • Visitors

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many people visited the Palace of Westminster in each week during the Summer Opening 2006; how many...

  • Trade and Industry

    • Companies Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he undertook on the Report stage amendment 822 to the Companies Bill.

    • Companies Bill

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he received from the (a) Confederation of British Industry, (b) Association of British Insurers, (c) Federation of...

      Corus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he (a) has had and (b) plans to have with (i) Corus and (ii) prospective buyers of Corus in respect of protection of the...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment.

      EU Convergence Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to conclude negotiations with the EU Commission on European Union convergence funding for West Wales and the Valleys.

      Post Office

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he expects to make an announcement on the future of the post office network before the end of December 2006.

  • Environment Food and Rural Affairs

    • Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what position the Government took on the decision to impose new EU rules requiring new laboratory tests on animals for...

    • Cheesemaking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of EU regulations on traditional cheesemaking in the United Kingdom; and if he will...

      Chemical Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there have been reported cases of UK fishing vessels having caught (a) chemical weapons and (b) their component...

      Dairy Products

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment of the level of antibiotics in milk and dairy products his Department has made in each year since 1997; and...

      Energy Efficiency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated level of energy efficiency achieved by each local authority in buildings and services within its own area...

      Energy Efficiency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what events in support of Energy Efficiency Week his Department has (a) sponsored and (b) participated in.

      Enhanced Capital Allowance Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will reform the Enhanced Capital Allowance scheme to widen its scope to include thermal mass and night time ventilation.

      Flood Protection

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much (a) the Government, (b) North Yorkshire county council and (c) City of York council spent on flood alleviation...

      Light Bulbs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will assess the merits of instituting a ban on the sale of incandescent light bulbs.

      Nirex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which stakeholders have been consulted about his decision to merge Nirex into the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority;...

      Nirex

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from the Sustainable Development Commission on the proposals to merge Nirex into the...

      Nuclear Decomissioning Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of the Health and Safety Executive is in regulating the Nuclear Decomissioning Authority.

      Nuclear Decomissioning Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the role of the Environment Agency is in regulating the Nuclear Decomissioning Authority.

      Office of Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date he expects the Office of Climate Change to report on its audit of existing work on climate change; and if he...

      Office of Climate Change

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the membership is of the (a) Ministerial and (b) official board of the Office of Climate Change; and which Department...

      Rural Watercourses

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the reduction in spending by the Environment Agency on the maintenance of rural...

      Sewage System (London)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings his Department has had with the Mayor of London in relation to London's sewage system; when those meetings took...

      Sustainable Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking (a) to encourage and (b) to support home-owners who wish to move to sustainable energy sources from...

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Casinos

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) of 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1135W, on...

    • Civil Servants (Expenses)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) of 19 June 2006, Official Report, column 1595W,...

      Consultancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 802W, on consultancies, when the requested document will be...

      Departmental Databases

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many confirmed security breaches have occurred of computer databases controlled by her Department and its predecessor in...

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will delay the implementation date for home information packs.

      Home Information Packs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in what ways sellers will be encouraged to take up voluntary home information packs during the dry run.

      House Sales

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many completed sales through (a) Shared Ownership and (b) Key Worker Schemes were funded by the Housing Corporation...

      Ministerial Duties

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many events she has attended hosted by the (a) Muslim, (b) Hindu, (c) Christian, (d) Buddhist, (e) Sikh, (f) Jewish...

      Planning

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 15 May 2006, Official Report, column 813W, on planning, if she will publish an updated list with the...

      Tablighi Jamaat

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) Ministers and (b) others in her Department have met representatives of Tablighi Jamaat during the last three...

      Travellers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she plans to take to ensure uniformity in the way that local authorities undertake assessments of Gypsy and Traveller...

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Departmental Telephone Inquiries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) missed and (b) received calls there were to her Department's general inquiries telephone number in each week of the last...

    • Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what discussions she has had with possible future owners of West Ham United on the post-2012 use of the main Olympic Stadium; (2)...

      Osborne Estate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what progress she has made with the plans to reassign the use of those parts of Osborne House that were previously used as a...

      Osborne Estate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists visted Osborne House in each of the last five years.

      Osborne Estate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been earned through commercial and private activities at Osborne House in each of the last five years.

      Osborne Estate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on the convalescent wing of Osborne House in each of the last 10 years.

      Phone-in Quizzes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to classify television phone-in quizzes as lotteries under the Gambling Act 2005.

      Seaside Piers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many seaside pier owners in the (a) public and (b) private sector have applied for lottery funding to maintain and improve their...

  • Education and Skills

    • Adult Literacy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment he has made of levels of adult literacy in England; and if he will make a statement.

    • Further Education Budget

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many adults participated in further education in each of the last 20 years.

      Student Debt

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice and support is provided to (a) students and (b) students from poorer backgrounds on managing debt (i) while at university and...

      Vocational Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what schemes are in place to support the study of vocational subjects (a) at GCSE level, (b) A-level and (c) in further education.

  • Northern Ireland

    • Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many (a) Protestant, (b) Roman Catholic and (c) non-determined applicants there have been to each of the newly announced governing...

    • Best Practice Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2006, Official Report, columns 1544-5W, on the best practice scheme, what steps he is taking to encourage...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were employed in the Department of Agriculture in Northern Ireland in each Northern Ireland county in each of the last three years.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the administrative costs of running the Department of Agriculture headquarters at Dundonald House were in the last year for which figures...

      District Command Units

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average number of police officers was in each district command unit in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.

      District Command Units

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what method the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses to record average response times across its district command units.

      Inter-parliamentary Meetings

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many times committees of the British-Irish Inter Parliamentary Body have met in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years; what issues...

      Joint Medical School

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the recent proposals from the University of Ulster and the National University of Ireland in Galway on a joint medical school will be...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006, Official Report, column 455W, on prisons, if he will make a statement on the decision of (a) the...

      Roads (Scotland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions there have been with the Department of Transport and the Scottish Executive about upgrading the road from Stranraer to...

      Robert McCartney

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers worked on the Robert McCartney investigation in each month since his murder.

      Website Content

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place (a) to regulate and (b) to manage social network websites with particular reference to sectarian content aimed at...

      Zebra Mussels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2006, Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what assessment he has made of the impact of zebra...

      Zebra Mussels

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2006, Official Report, column 1787W, on zebra mussels, what steps he is taking to halt the spread of zebra...

  • Duchy of Lancaster

    • Departmental IT

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which databases operated by her Department are located (a) wholly and (b) partly outside the UK; and where each of those databases and parts of...

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) whether her Department recognises the International GCSE as an acceptable substitute for a GCSE for the purposes of recruitment; (2) what...

      Muslim Council of Britain

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much (a) financial support and (b) support in kind her Department and its agencies has given to the Muslim Council of Britain each year since...

      Official Residences

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which (a) Government Departments and (b) departmental divisions occupy (i) the Ripley Building and (ii) Admiralty House; and which (A) Ministers...

      Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what savings estimate she has made of the effect on costs of the reforms to public sector pensions agreed with trades unions in 2005 for each year...

      Social Exclusion Unit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 99W, on the Social Exclusion Unit, on what date the Social Exclusion Unit ceased...

      Social Exclusion Unit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 99W, on the Social Exclusion Unit, what funding and resources were assigned to...

      Social Exclusion Unit

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 99W, on the Social Exclusion Unit, what evaluation has been carried out of the...

  • Wales

    • Commission for Racial Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has with the Commission for Racial Equality in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

    • Departmental IT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which non web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £1 million since 2001; how many qualified tender proposals there...

      Departmental IT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has spent on (a) information technology projects generally and (b) web-facing projects in each year since 2001, broken down by...

      Departmental IT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which web-related information technology projects cost his Department more than £50,000 since 2001; which companies submitted qualified tender...

      Departmental IT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many information technology projects his Department has undertaken in each year since 2001.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the minimum wage on 1 October.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of the total...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he has taken to offset the carbon dioxide emissions caused by ministerial travel in his Department.

      Muslim Community

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with leaders of the Muslim community in Wales; and if he will make a statement.

      Olympic Games

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with appropriate bodies to ensure that Wales benefits economically and socially from the London Olympics and...

  • Transport

    • Airport Security (Northern Ireland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which groups of people are exempt from passing through security at Northern Ireland's airports; and what the reasons are for the exemptions in each case.

    • Cargo Transfers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 1119W, on cargo transfers, when his Department now expects to consult on the...

      Congestion Charging

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 23 October 2006, Official Report, column 1533W, on congestion charging, what discussions he has held with Merseyside...

      Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost of consultants used by his Department was in 2005-06.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on taxis in the last 12 months.

      Departmental Mail

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of the Department's mail is shipped using private companies; and what the cost was over the last 12 months.

      Drink-driving

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian deaths in road accidents there were where the pedestrian had over 100 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of blood in each year since 2003;...

      Driving Standards Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made on the Driving Standards Agency Multi-Purpose Test Centre due to be built in Leicester.

      Eurotunnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contractual arrangement the UK Government have with Eurotunnel with regard to freight.

      Eurotunnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with Monsieur Gounon of Eurotunnel with regard to freight.

      Fire Services (Aerodromes)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of (a) lives saved and (b) serious injuries prevented as a result of the requirement for lower category...

      M1

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason both carriageways of the M1 motorway were closed in Leicestershire on 29 September; who authorised such closure; and what steps were...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions he has visited (a) Scotland and (b) Wales in the last 12 months.

      Motorways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 17 October 2006, Official Report, column 1136W, on motorways, when he expects to extend active traffic management and hard...

      Muslim Council of Britain

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) financial support and (b) support in kind his Department and its agencies have given to the Muslim Council of Britain in each year since...

      Northern Ireland Flights

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of (a) drunken and (b) disruptive behaviour were reported on flights to and from Northern Ireland's airports in each of the last...

      Rail Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tonnage of rail freight was carried in the last year for which figures are available; and what it was in 1997.

      Rail Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will commission a report on the safety implications of the recent incident that caused a train carrying nuclear waste from Hartlepool to be...

      Railways

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many trains were cancelled between October 2005 and October 2006, broken down by reason.

      Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received from biofuels producers regarding the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation.

      Road Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrians have been (a) injured, (b) seriously injured and (c) killed in collisions with cyclists in each region for each of the last 12...

      Road Accidents

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people have been (a) killed and (b) injured by drivers who were using hand-held mobile phones.

      Roads Funding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport in respect of how many (a) trunk road and (b) local authority road schemes he has withdrawn (i) funding and (ii) approval since 1997; and what the...

      Safety Cameras

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras there are in Halifax; and how many motorists they have recorded exceeding the speed limit in the last 12 months.

      Sea and Water

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding his Department gave to Sea and Water in each of the last three years; and what discussions the Department has had with that organisation...

      SS Montgomery

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on how many occasions Royal Navy divers have inspected the hulk of the SS Montgomery (a) in each of the last three years and (b) to date in 2006; and...

      Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in Outer Neighbourhoods

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the research report commissioned by his Department entitled "Sustainability of Land Use and Transport in...

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Claims Handlers

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will conduct an investigation into referral payments by claims handlers to solicitors for mining claims prior to March...

    • Compensation Act

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs by what process a chartered insurance practitioner may apply for an exemption from the requirement for authorisation for very...

      Compensation Act

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the Compensation Act on the practice of vehicle repair firms being paid by...

      Electoral Administration

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance her Department has provided for returning officers on the implementation of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.

      Jury Service

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs for what reason people over the age of 70 years are prohibited from carrying out jury service; and if she will make a statement.

      Postal Voting

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Chris Ruane) on 19 October 2006, Official Report,...

      Small Claims Courts

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the present maximum claim is that can be pursued in the small claims court; and what consideration she is giving to (a)...

  • Treasury

    • Benefits and Credits Directorate

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been in post in the Benefits and Credits Directorate of HM Revenue and Customs in each month since April 2005.

    • Better Regulation

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals his Department has made on simplification of regulations since he launched the Better Regulation action plan on 24 May 2005; and what...

      Breast Cancer

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women (i) died of and (ii) were diagnosed with breast cancer in (1) the UK, (2) the North of England, (3) South Tyneside and (4)...

      Child Trust Fund

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations the Government have made to Child Trust Fund operators requesting that they provide ethical investment options.

      Child Trust Fund

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Chorley have taken out child trust funds; and if he will make a statement.

      European Private Equity

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the report of the European Commission's alternative investment expert group on developing European private equity.

      HMRC Call Centres

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has implemented the informative message to stop silent calls in its call centres.

      Immigration

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of all UK workers were migrant workers in each reporting period since 1992-93, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

      IT Projects

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 283W, on information technology projects, what the reasons were for the time taken to...

      Personal Debt

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies he has commissioned into the implications of the rise in the level of personal debt.

      Planning Gain Supplement

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the threshold will be for exemption from the Planning Gain Supplement; and whether this will be based on (a) area and (b) value of development;...

      Planning Gain Supplement

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how Planning Gain Supplement levies will be (a) collected and (b) distributed; and which agencies will be eligible to receive money to spend on...

      Planning Gain Supplement

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings have been held between his Department and Scottish Executive officials to discuss the proposals for a Planning Gain Supplement.

      Public Sector Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what annual savings in Government spending are anticipated in each year from 2006-07 to 2050-51 as a result of the recent reforms to public sector pensions;...

      Road Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have applied for the new zero-rate road tax for environmentally-friendly cars.

      Special Advisers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date each special adviser employed by his Department took up his post.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps (a) to investigate the case of Mrs. Hughes of Brixham, a constituent of the hon. Member for Totnes, and (b) to ensure that she...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many tax credit claims have been stopped because of fraud or suspicion of fraud in each month since May 2006; and if he will make a statement; (2)...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of appeals against tax credit overpayments were successful in each (a) month, (b) quarter and (c) year since April 2003; (2) how...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of advertising and publicity relating to tax credits has been for each year since 2003-04.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of fraud involving the child care element of tax credits; and if he will make a statement.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the methods used to steal (a) Department of Work and Pensions and (b) Network Rail staff identities in 2005-06 to use in...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total volume of (a) actual and (b) prevented organised tax credit fraud since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has assessed the merits of returning to a system of fixed tax credit awards; and if he will make a statement.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff work on tax benefits administration; and how many did so in April 2006; (2) how many staff were employed by HM Revenue and Customs and...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated level is of systematic tax credit fraud in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of tax credit administration in 2005-06, broken down by main cost headings.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overpayments of (a) working tax credit and (b) child tax credit were found to be a result of HM Revenue and Customs error in 2005-06.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what procedures (a) HM Revenue and Customs and (b) the Department have in place for the approval of easements to tax credit verification rules; how...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many callers to the tax credits helpline received an engaged tone and were not placed in a queue for each month since June; and if he will make a statement.

      VAT (Church Buildings)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions he has had with other EU countries about extending VAT relief to church buildings which are not listed; (2) what assessment he has...

      VAT Fraud

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the upper and lower levels of missing trader VAT fraud in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

      Welsh Demographics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what percentage of the population of (a) Wales, (b) the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot and (c) the constituency of Aberavon is over the age of...

      World Bank/IMF

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total annual remuneration of (a) the President of the World Bank and (b) the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund was as at July 2006.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Departmental Branding

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department has ordered branded (a) stationery and (b) other items.

    • Gifts

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions he has consulted the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office regarding the offer of gifts to members of other governments or governmental...

      Mail (Private Companies)

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of his Office's mail is shipped using private companies; and what the cost was over the last 12 months.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions he has visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what (a) hospitality and (b) gifts he received in relation to his visit to the MIPIM Property Development Conference in Cannes last year.

      Redhill Aerodrome Ventures

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with representatives of Redhill Aerodrome Ventures in the last five years.

  • Defence

    • "Not to Exceed" Dates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the "not to exceed" in-service date at main gate was for (a) Defence Information Infrastructure (Head Office), (b) Defence Information...

    • Agency Trading Accounts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the Memorandum Trading Accounts for the (a) Defence Transport and Movements Agency, (b) Defence Vetting...

      Aircraft Carriers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the expected date of commission is of the future aircraft carriers; and what tonnage they will be.

      Animal Experiments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what animals are being used in experiments at the Alverstoke Institute, Gosport; for what purposes they are being used; and if he will make a statement.

      Chaplains

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the number of chaplains in each of the Armed Forces.

      Defence Estates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on co-operation with regional development agencies when surplus Defence Estates property is being disposed of; what assessment he has...

      Defence Estates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment Defence Estates makes of local economic development priorities when disposing of surplus property.

      Defence Vetting Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff from the Defence Vetting Agency have been contracted to the Office for Nuclear Security since 2005; and for how long each has been contracted.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent by his Department on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02.

      Departmental Lawyers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 9 October 2006, on departmental lawyers, if he will break down by main area of law the cost of departmental lawyers in each of...

      Departmental Redundancies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies there were in his Department in each year since 1997; what the cost of such redundancies was in each year; how many temporary staff...

      Energy Consumption

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent steps have been taken to address energy waste through lack of insulation in departmental properties.

      Environmental Policies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recycling facilities are provided to army barracks and bases (a) in the UK and (b) overseas for the use of (i) armed forces' personnel, (ii)...

      Eurofighter Typhoon

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timescale is for the delivery of Typhoons to the Royal Air Force squadrons following the successful bid by BAE Systems for the supply of...

      Health and Safety at Work (Prosecutions)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many prosecutions for offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 have been taken against his Department's personnel since 1976; how many...

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will consider allowing ex-military personnel to occupy empty homes on military bases in the UK.

      Housing

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to make service families accommodation regulations consistent with regulations for civilian property.

      Medical Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many military personnel are on waiting lists for treatment at NHS hospitals.

      Mental Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where departments of community mental health are located; what services they provide; and if he will make a statement.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which UK (a) air and maritime assets and (b) other military facilities are being used in support of UN operations in the Lebanon; (2) whether...

      Military Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the (a) actual and (b) establishment figures are for each regiment of the British regular infantry; (2) what the (a) current and (b)...

      Military Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many OMC/Alvis Mamba/RG-31 mine-protected vehicles were purchased for Army use; on what date they were purchased; what the total purchase price...

      Military Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Snatch One, Two and Three Land Rovers are in Iraq and Afghanistan; and how many of each are operational.

      Military Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the first batch of Panther vehicles is expected to be deployed; which type of vehicle they will replace; and if he will make a statement.

      Military Vehicles

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) when the development of the replacements for the OMC/Alvis Mamba/RG-31 mine protected vehicles became Project Tempest; and when and to whom the...

      Mines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the threat from sea mines since 1998; and what the results were.

      Minimum Wage

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees in (a) his Department and (b) related agencies and non-departmental public bodies were affected by the increase in the minimum wage...

      Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many commissioned officers were (a) female and (b) non-white in 2006.

      Operational Bonus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what impact the operational bonus announced on 11 October will have on the payment of the X factor to members of the armed forces in (a) the 2006-07...

      Operational Bonus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the cost of the new operational bonus from 2007-08 will be met from (a) existing departmental budgets and (b) additional funds.

      Porton Down

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 8 May 2006, Official Report, column 41W, on Porton Down, why the number of (a) mice used in procedures has increased since...

      Promotion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) allowance is made in initial training and (b) seniority in rank is granted for previous service when non-commissioned officers below the rank...

      RAF Machrihanish

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with which public agencies the future of RAF Machrihanish has been discussed; what plans he has for RAF Machrihanish; and if he will make a statement.

      Retired Field Marshals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent he draws on the experience and views of retired field marshals when considering defence policy.

      School Fees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the payment of school fees for the children of staff employed in HM Armed Forces abroad when those children attend...

      Suicides

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been judged to have committed suicide since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

      Territorial Army Reserve

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Territorial Army Reserve there are; and how many are serving in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan.

  • Health

    • Abortion

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total cost was of (a) abortions performed (i) before the 12(th) week of pregnancy, (ii) between the 12(th) and 18(th) weeks of pregnancy, (iii)...

    • Associate Hospital Manager

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the associate hospital manager function is not provided for under mental health foundation trust status; what plans her Department has to replace...

      Breast Cancer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has commissioned research to examine potential links between exposure to agricultural chemicals and breast cancer.

      Cadbury Schweppes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Cadbury Schweppes items were identified in the food diaries of those who suffered from salmonella Montevideo which were examined by the Health...

      Central Lancashire PCT

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans her Department has to deliver more health services in the community in the Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust area.

      Childhood Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what work her Department has (a) undertaken and (b) funded on childhood obesity since 1997; and how much each project (i) has cost and (ii) is forecast...

      Childhood Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Department has withdrawn its funding for the study into the link between childhood obesity and diabetes at the Peninsula Medical...

      Childhood Obesity

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the proportion of children aged between two and 10 years who are obese; and what the estimates were for each year...

      Dental Care Professionals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response she has made to the General Dental Council's consultation on the new rules for dental care professionals; and what assessment she has made...

      EU Food Hygiene Legislation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been allocated to implement the revised EU food hygiene legislation that came into force on 1 January; how much has been spent on such...

      GPs (Peterborough)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners in (a) single and (b) multiple practices in Peterborough constituency were (i) aged below 55 years of age and (ii) above...

      Herceptin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 12 June 2006, Official Report, column 47WS, on Herceptin, whether she has received a progress report...

      Human Papilloma Virus Vaccines

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what research her Department has conducted on the introduction of human papilloma virus vaccines; (2) what research her Department has (a)...

      Independent Treatment Centre

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people who have received treatment at an independent sector treatment centre later (a) presented at an accident and emergency department and...

      Infant Mortality

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of infant mortality was (a) in England and (b) in each English region in each year since 1997; what assessment she has made of the...

      Influenza Vaccinations

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many pensioners in Hendon qualify for influenza vaccinations; how many doses of vaccination have been available to the NHS in Hendon in each of the...

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to announce how many junior doctor training posts there will be in each specialty under Modernising Medical Careers.

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that there is an appropriate balance of specialties within the new junior doctor training posts.

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what career advice is being provided to junior doctors regarding the changes taking place under Modernising Medical Careers.

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on services caused by junior doctors taking time off to attend interviews for the new junior doctor training...

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her assessment is of the capability of the IT infrastructure of NHS trusts to deal effectively with the recruitment process for the new junior doctor...

      Junior Doctors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the British Medical Association on the introduction of Modernising Medical Careers.

      Long-term Care Costs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what estimate she has made of the number of people who had to sell their homes in order to pay for long-term care in 2006-07; (2) what percentage...

      Mesothelioma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of providing (a) herceptin for breast cancer and (b) alimta for mesothelioma for each patient with such diseases...

      Mesothelioma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are receiving treatment for mesothelioma in the South West of England, broken down by primary care trust.

      MS

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is available to NHS patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

      Multiple Myeloma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what treatments are currently licensed for multiple myeloma in the UK; what treatments for multiple myeloma are currently provided by the NHS; whether...

      NHS Cancer Plan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money was allocated to the University Hospital North Durham for capital expenditure under the NHS cancer plan; and what capital equipment has...

      NHS Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital expenditure there has been within the NHS in Coventry since May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

      NHS Recruitment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information her Department collects on (a) vacant posts, (b) posts which are frozen and (c) qualified staff who are seeking work in the NHS.

      NHS Savings Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) staff reductions, (b) ward closures, (c) asset sales and (d) assets to be reduced in use are part of the savings planned at (i) Epsom, (ii)...

      NHS Training Budgets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities are planning to reduce their spending on training over the next three years; and what (a) the percentage reduction planned...

      Nice

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects all NHS trusts to implement fully the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance on infertility.

      Non-governmental Public Bodies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) administration costs and (b) total number of staff of (i) the Healthcare Commission, (ii) the Commission for Social Care Inspection, (iii)...

      PCT Budgets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what Haringey Primary Care Trust's budget is; and what its original allocation was for 2006-07.

      PCTs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many primary care trusts in England have agreed to mixed contracts for dental practices with both private and NHS patients.

      Sexual Health

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will undertake research into the effect of parental notification laws on the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers;...

      Sheffield Primary Care Trust

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many people applied in the second round for the chairmanship of the new amalgamated Sheffield Primary Care Trust; how many were shortlisted; and...

      Spina Bifida

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department will spend on research into spina bifida in the current financial year.

      Sterile Supplies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the sterile supplies to general practitioners in Lancashire; and if she will make a statement.

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will ensure rapid implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines on tuberculosis.

      Volatile Substance Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make it her policy to add bitrex to cigarette lighter fuel to discourage volatile substance abuse.

      Waiting Times

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting for (a) out-patient and (b) in-patient care in Coventry; and what the (i) average, (ii) shortest and (iii) longest waiting...

      Waiting Times

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for orthodontic treatment for (a) juveniles and (b) adults in (i) North-West Cambridgeshire and (ii) England in each...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the proposed E1 settlement development on progress on the road map...

    • Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on the Middle East peace process.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the outcome was of the Prime Minister's recent visit to the Middle East; and if she will make a statement.

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the UK Government have taken following the Israeli Defence Force's transfer of the Rachel's Tomb neighbourhood to...

      UN Resolution 1701

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Governments of Iran and Syria on the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

      India

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Government of India about UK jobs being transferred to India.

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on recent developments in the political situation in Iraq.

      European Parliament

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Minister for Europe has had with Members of the European Parliament on the co-decision procedure.

      Drug Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with Latin American Governments on drug trafficking.

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the US Secretary of State on North Korea.

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the developments in the North Korean ballistic weapons programme.

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on North Korea's nuclear programme.

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in China on North Korea's nuclear programme.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of the risk to regional security posed by Iran's nuclear programme.

      Darfur

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Government of Sudan on the security situation in Darfur.

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006, Official Report, column 1271W, on Afghanistan, what assessment she has made of the...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what account she plans to take of the opium production reducing operations in the Golden Triangle in formulating...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team in delivering political, development and military...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many members of the Helmand Provincial Reconstruction Team have been deployed in the province in each quarter since 2005;...

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role of the Counter Narcotics Trust Fund in Afghanistan is; and if she will make a statement.

      Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on progress made by the Counter Narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force in Afghanistan.

      Book Authorisation (Departmental Staff)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the book "Diplomatic Baggage" by Brigid Keenan was vetted and approved by her Department before publication.

      Bosnia-Herzegovina

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the Entity of Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik's calls for a referendum on the Entity's...

      Bosnia-Herzegovina

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans there are for closing down the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if she will make a statement.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions are imposed by the Government on UK companies seeking to trade with Burma.

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the (a) likelihood and (b) extent of innocent people being executed in China; if she will make...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 6 September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Majid Ali.

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she will reply to the letters of 12 and 13 September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 11 September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. W....

      Council of Ministers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it her policy to make available for publication in the Official Report A-List agendas prior to the meeting of...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the potential effect of allowing direct trade between the EU and northern Cyprus on the...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the extent of trade across the Green Line in Cyprus compliant with the Green Line...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response she has made to the findings of the recent World Bank Report on the economy of northern Cyprus; and if she will...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the numbers of (a) Turkish Cypriots and (b) Turks from Turkey resident in occupied north Cyprus;...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the respect by the Turkish authorities of the human rights of Greek Cypriot residents of...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of how many Greek Cypriots were residents of enclaves in Karpas in (a) 1976 and (b) 2006; and if...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to what extent the EU Erasmus scheme will be available to students (a) in the Republic of Cyprus and (b) in northern Cyprus;...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of how many UK flagged vessels were prevented from calling at Turkish ports because they (a)...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what assessment she has made of the continuing costs of (a) de-mining and (b) missing persons initiatives in Cyprus;...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the impact of the Bologna principle on (a) accreditation and (b) recognition of university degrees...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the Turkish authorities and north Cyprus pressing for permission for Greek Cypriots to visit...

      Cyprus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to Turkey concerning the opening of the Ledra Street checkpoint in Nicosia; and if she will...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much her Department has spent on organising and hosting conferences in the last 12 months.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proportion of vacancies in her Department in the last 12 months required candidates to have at least a grade C in (a)...

      Eritrea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has made any representations on the recent deaths of Immanuel Andegergesh and Kibrom Firemichael in Asmara, Eritrea;...

      Ethiopia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Reading East (Mr. Wilson) of 11 January 2006, Official Report, column 671W, on...

      European Institutions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if she will put forward proposals to the European Union to improve the accountability and effectiveness of the European...

      European Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her statement in Prospects for the EU in 2006 (Cm 6896), which (a) bodies and (b) persons the Government have...

      Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the United Kingdom is taking as one of the United Nations guarantor powers to stop incursions along the demilitarised...

      Kosovo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the security situation in (a) Serbia and (b) Kosovo prior to the completion of the UN-led...

      Kurdistan Workers Party

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent activity of the Kurdistan Workers Party in south-eastern...

      Nuclear Weapons

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her Security Council counterparts on the relevance of the Proliferation Security Initiative to...

      Palestinian Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role of the UK has been in implementing International Community Commitments under the March 2005 London Meeting on...

      Palestinian Authority

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in implementing International Community Commitments agreed under the March 2005 London Meeting on...

      Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the UN requesting an urgent investigation into allegations by the former Rwandan ambassador...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made (a) by her and (b) on her behalf to the Government of Sudan regarding the Government...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what areas have been identified for the enhancing of the capability and resources of the African Union Mission in Darfur; and...

      Turkey

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with the Turkish Government on the conflict in the Kurdish areas of eastern Turkey.

      Zimbabwe

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any funds have been made available to support access to sanitary products for the Zimbabwe women campaign.

  • Home Department

    • Antisocial Behaviour Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of antisocial behaviour orders issued were breached in each of the last three years in each London borough.

    • Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's estimate is of the number of failed asylum seekers who will be eligible for indefinite leave to remain as a result of...

      Cannabis

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) adults and (b) young offenders were (i) reprimanded for, (ii) received a final warning for and (iii) charged with possession...

      Cargo

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are in place to inspect commercial air cargo; whether any changes to those arrangements have been put in place since the...

      Child Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has undertaken best interests assessments of all trafficked children.

      Child Trafficking

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department takes to ensure that (a) deported trafficked children are supported upon their arrival in their original country...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight dated 15 June, 24 July and 19 September 2006 to the Director...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter to him of 11 September 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Thi Thao...

      Crime Statistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of crime there were (a) in total, (b) in each police authority area and (c) in each local authority area in each of the...

      DNA Profiles

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether DNA profiles retrieved during the course of an investigation where the crime remains unsolved are deleted as a matter of routine once...

      EU Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers from other EU states there were in the Lancashire region in each of the last five years.

      EU Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers from other EU states there were in (a) North East Cambridgeshire, (b) Cambridgeshire and (c) the Eastern region in each...

      EU Migrant Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria were used by his Department in its formula to predict the estimated number of migrant workers to the UK from the 2004 EU...

      EU Travel Bans

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1747W, on EU travel bans, what liaison takes place between the...

      EU Travel Bans

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005, Official Report, column 1747W, on EU travel bans, what estimate he has made of the cost of...

      Extradition

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether persons extradited from the UK to the US may be tried only in US courts.

      Extradition

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the provisions of the extradition treaty between the UK and the US to be fully implemented by the United States of America.

      Faith Groups

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from representatives of faith groups on the application of section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986, as...

      Feltham YOI

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Ministers (a) have reviewed and (b) plan to review the report of the investigation into the recent attempted escape at HM Young...

      Foreign Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will place in the Library copies of the (a) policies, (b) guidance, (c) circulars and (d) instructions on (i) the security...

      Immigration and Nationality Directorate

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the Immigration and Nationality Directorate did not meet its 20-day target response time in respect of inquiries from...

      Immigration and Nationality Directorate

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Immigration and Nationality Directorate will reply to the letter of 28 June 2006, from the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green,...

      Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the operation of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006; and what recent representations he has...

      Indian Workers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers from India received permits to work in the UK in each sector of the work force in the last 12 months.

      Islam and Muslim Affairs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements his Department has in place for offering him advice on Islam and matters relating to Muslims; and who his advisers are on...

      John Walters

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what preparations have been made for the visit to the UK of US anti-drug czar John Walters.

      Marriage Visas

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members of the communities of (a) Bangladeshi origin, (b) Pakistani origin and (c) South Asian origin have married spouses from...

      Miscarriages of Justice

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for (a) ex gratia payments of compensation from public funds for miscarriages of justice there have been since 1976...

      Miscarriages of Justice

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what reviews have been undertaken into the schemes relating to ex gratia payments from public funds or under section 133 of the...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to reply to question 25122, on Immigration and Nationality Directorate caseworkers, tabled by the hon. Member for Battersea...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer questions (a) 76868 and (b) 80399, on Sakchai Makao, tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to question 73528, on the Tipping Point target, tabled by the hon. Member for Ashford for answer on 24 May 2006.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer question 81775 tabled by the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on 27 June for answer on 3 July.

      Pensioner Benefits (Hendon)

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pensioners resident in Hendon have taken part in the discount passport scheme.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how population growth is taken into account when calculating the Total Resource Allocation Formula for police forces.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent progress has been made on negotiations over police pay.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Statement of 9th October, on prison capacity, what his assessment is of the reasons why (a) France, (b) Germany, (c)...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether a prison governor subject to an escape attempt may be responsible for the subsequent investigation into that incident; and if he will...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what training has been provided to (a) members of the Prison Service Management Board and (b) Prison Service area managers on the...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prisoners escaped or absconded from (a) Category A, (b) Category B, (c) Category C and (d) Category D prisons in each of...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were transferred from category (a) A and (b) B prisons to category D prisons in each of the last five years.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) foreign national prisoners and (b) non-foreign national prisoners are held at Ford Prison; and how many in each category were...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 19 October 2006, Official Report, column 1349W, on prisons, when the contributions of the external agencies...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place in (a) prisons and (b) other custodial institutions to prevent self harm and suicide being committed by...

      Probation Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation employees in each probation area have been on sick leave absence for (a) more than a month, (b) more than two months,...

      Probation Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many defendants in England and Wales are under the supervision of the Probation Service; and how many probation officers there are to...

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists have been (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) successfully prosecuted in each of the last five years for (i) being under...

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been (a) cautioned, (b) charged and (c) successfully prosecuted for using (i) noisy exhaust systems and (ii) loud...

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were (a) cautioned and (b) charged for (i) going through red lights and (ii) cycling in the dark without lights in each...

      Sex Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many warrants are outstanding for registered sex offenders who have breached the conditions of their release; (2) how many...

      Sex Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many rapists have been released from jail on parole since 23 May 2006.

      Sexual Assaults

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serious sexual assaults reported to the police have resulted in an arrest and successful prosecution in the last year for which...

      Shoplifting

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for shoplifting in England and Wales in each year since 1997; how many were charged; how many were cautioned;...

      Tagging

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how quickly security firms charged with the electronic tagging of offenders are required to inform the National Offender Management Service...

      Unaccompanied Minors

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to carry out returns of unaccompanied minors to (a) the Congo, (b) Vietnam and (c) Angola; what assessment...

      Work Permits

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his timetable is for a decision on whether to change the work permit settlement criteria from four to five years for (a) those people...

      Young Offenders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the costs were of detaining young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in young offender institutions in the last period...

  • House of Lords

    • Armistice Day

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What steps they will take to ensure that the United Kingdom is formally represented at all major Armistice Day services held in Commonwealth countries in November 2007.

    • Commission for Equality and Human Rights

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When the Commission for Racial Equality will join the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights.

      Consultants: Department of Health

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In each of the past three years, what payments in total have been made to (a) ER Consultants, and (b) Praesta by the Department of Health; and for what services.

      Government Departments: Special Advisers

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10 July (WA 89), how many assistants currently support special advisers to Ministers in the...

      Houses of Parliament: Carbon Offsetting

      asked the Chairman of Committees: Further to the Written Answer by Nick Harvey MP representing the House of Commons Commission on 22 March (HC, 398W), whether there is now a carbon offsetting...

      Interpreters

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they would support the formation of a separate professional body by organisations solely representing the interpreting profession.

      Official Documents: Twelvetrees Crescent Warehouse

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What files were lost by the Department for Transport in the fire at the paper records warehouse in Twelvetrees Crescent, London, in July; what impact these losses...

      Railways: Great North Eastern Franchise

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will renegotiate the franchise agreement with Great North Eastern Railways if the company fails to comply with its franchise commitment to operate two...

      Roads: Dartford Crossing

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was (a) the total toll revenue; (b) the total operating cost; and (c) the surplus for the Dartford Crossing in its last year of operation for which figures...

      Roads: Dartford Crossing

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many vehicles and what percentage of total traffic over an average 24-hour period use the Dartford Crossing between (a) 6 am and midnight, and (b) at all other...

      Roads: Dartford Crossing

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How much of the revenues derived from the Dartford Crossing since 1 April 2003 have been spent on local transport projects in either Kent or Essex; and on what...

      Roads: Dartford Crossing

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How much profit the Dartford Crossing has made since 1 April 2003.

      Roads: Dartford Crossing

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the length of contract between Le Crossing Company Ltd and the Department for Transport for the operation of the Dartford Crossing; how much the contract...

      Shipping: Cruise Liner Crews

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Davies of Oldham on 18 October (WA 197), whether they will reconsider their decision not to have discussions concerning...

      Waterways: Attracting Visitors

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What attractions have been introduced on inland waterways in England and Wales in the past three years in order to attract more visitors.

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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