Written answers

Thursday, 30 November 2006

  • House of Commons Commission

    • Surveillance Devices

      To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how much has been spent on surveillance devices used on the parliamentary estate in each of the last five years.

  • Scotland

    • Departmental Statistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which statistics have been put forward by his Department for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last five years; and how...

    • Freedom of Information

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Freedom of Information requests have been made to his Department in each month since March 2006.

      Public Appointments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which public appointments have been made by his Department to former Ministers who have served in the Government since May 1997.

  • Transport

    • First Great Western

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what First Great Western Trains' public service requirements are in relation to peak time services provision between Cardiff Central and Swansea during...

    • Rail Freight

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to increase the proportion of freight carried by rail.

      Rail Overcrowding

      To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what limits exist on the number of passengers allowed in train carriages; what steps are taken to enforce such limits; and what penalties are imposed...

  • Wales

    • Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many value for money exercises on the use of (a) management consultants and (b) professional advisers were conducted by his Department in each of the...

    • Tax Rates

      To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the effect on the Welsh economy of tax rates in the Republic of Ireland.

  • Solicitor-General

    • Anti-terror Legislation

      To ask the Solicitor-General where the Crown Prosecution Service has visited on its national tour to areas with high Muslim populations to explain and demystify the anti-terror legislation; where...

    • Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Solicitor-General what the budget was for the Crown Prosecution Service in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

      Crown Prosecution Service

      To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases have been handled to the Crown Prosecution Service by police for prosecution in the last five years; and how many resulted in a prosecution being initiated.

      Magistrates Courts Case Workers

      To ask the Solicitor-General what the role is of designated magistrates courts case workers.

  • Culture Media and Sport

    • Digital Switchover

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on the effect of the national switchover from analogue to digital radio and television by 2012 on...

    • London Olympics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department spend the majority of their time on work related to the 2012 Olympics; and what the pay band is of each...

      Private Finance Initiatives

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total capital value is of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by her Department which has reached financial close;...

      Special Advisers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of her Department's civil servants work full-time to support departmental special advisers; and what the salary is of each such...

  • Defence

    • Armed Forces Pay Review Body

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library transcripts of oral evidence to the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body taken in preparation for its 35(th )report by the (a)...

    • Commonwealth Citizens

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make assistance available for Commonwealth citizens who have completed service with HM Forces to return to their home country.

      Dr. Paul Norman

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates Dr. Paul Norman (a) started and (b) stopped working at Porton Down; and what the nature of his work was.

      Far East Prisoners of War

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the European Court ruling of 26 October 2006 on the Far East Prisoners of War Ex-Gratia Payment on...

      Fatal Accident Inquiries

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in respect of how many cases of deceased UK service personnel flown back from (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan to Scotland there have been fatal accident...

      Project 21

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the remit is of Project 21; and if he will make a statement.

      Salisbury District Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel were (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients at Salisbury District hospital in 2005.

      Service Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the publication of names of the British servicemen and women who have been honoured for service in Iraq or Afghanistan...

      Service Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel were referred to the Priory Clinic in each rank as (a) in-patients and (b) out-patients in each of the last 12 months.

      Service Personnel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) the families of members of the Armed Forces killed and (b) members of the Armed Forces injured in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan before the...

      Torture Allegations (Cyprus)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the findings were of his investigation into allegations of torture conducted by a corporal in the Royal Highland Fusiliers at the Salt Lake...

      TSP04 Figures

      To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the 1 October 2006 TSP04 figures will be published.

  • International Development

    • Malawi

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much Malawi received from (a) his Department and (b) British charities in each of the last five years.

    • Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what additional aid he plans to make available to Eastern Sudan following the peace agreement.

  • Trade and Industry

    • World Trade Organisation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with (a) the EU Trade Commissioner and (b) his international counterparts on the future of the World Trade...

    • Companies Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment his Department has made of the cost to businesses of the Companies Act 2006.

      Exports

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the capacity of small and medium-sized enterprises to increase the volume of their exports; and if he will make...

      Regional Development Agencies

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the contribution of the regional development agency for the Yorkshire region to the economy in the region.

      Farepak

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further action he has taken to help those affected by the collapse of Farepak.

      Farepak

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to help recoup the funds of those who saved with Farepak; and if he will make a statement.

      Coal Industry Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to claw back money paid by his Department to UDM/Vendside.

      Banking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ask the Office of Fair Trading to investigate the introduction of charges for bank accounts.

      Banking

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that all communities are served by bank branches and services; and if he will make a statement.

      Capital One

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) contracts his Department has had with and (b) payments his Department has made to Capital One in each of the last five years.

      Consumer Credit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 on the level of charges made by banks, credit card companies and...

      Departmental Energy Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the electricity used by his Department was generated from (a) renewable sources and (b) on-site microgeneration...

      Equal Pay

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has undertaken on how businesses assess the level of gender equity among the pay of their employees.

      European Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate he has made of the financial effect on UK companies on (a) EU membership and (b) free trade within the EU; (2) what...

      European Union

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of UK jobs dependent on (a) free trade within the EU and (b) membership of the EU.

      Exports Credits Guarantee Department

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the rolling Exports Credits Guarantee Department insurance cover negotiated to support Al Yamamah I and II will be continued to...

      Fuel Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set to abolish fuel poverty by 2010; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement.

      Iran

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of UK exports to Iran in each year since 1997; and what percentage of all UK exports each figure represents.

      Mark II Prime Helipad

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the recent sale of a Vaughans of Leicester (Aerosystems) Mark II Prime Helipad to the government of Sudan; and...

      Microgeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce innovative fiscal incentives to support the growth of microgeneration.

      Microgeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has made to the report, Unlocking the Power House, on prospects for deployment of microgeneration technology, by the Economic...

      Microgeneration

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives he plans to introduce to promote micro-generation of electricity.

      Multinational Enterprises

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to make UK companies aware of OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

      National Consumer Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the budget of the National Consumer Council for 2006-07 will be finalised; and if he will make a statement.

      National Consumer Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what he expects the National Consumer Council's budget to be for 2006-07.

      National Institute for Medical Research

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place in the Library a copy of the Office of Science and Innovation's response to the Medical Research Council's draft business...

      Pfizer

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact on (a) concurrent choice and (b) competition of the decision by Pfizer...

      Post Office

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to safeguard the long-term future of the post office network.

      Trading Standards Officers

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many trading standards officers there are in England.

      UK Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the proposed Pacific Rim Free Trade Area on UK Trade with (a) China, (b) Japan, (c)...

      UK Trade

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential effect on bilateral trade of Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organisation; and if he will...

      Vietnam

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to encourage British businesses to invest in Vietnam; what support he is making available to British companies who...

      Vietnam

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the key obstacles to British businesses seeking to increase trade with Vietnam; and what representations he is...

      Wind Farms

      To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when the first application was received for an offshore wind farm at Shell Flat, Fleetwood; whom the applicant was; and if he will make...

  • Minister for Women

    • Single Mothers

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government have taken to enable single mothers to return to work.

    • Prisons

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on the number of females detained in prisons more than 50 miles...

      Elected Bodies

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of progress in promoting the representation of women in elected bodies.

      Flexible Working

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government have taken to encourage UK businesses to adopt flexible working patterns for the parents of young children; and if she will...

      Homelessness

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what assessment she has made of recent trends in the number of homeless women; and if she will make a statement.

      Musculo-skeletal Conditions

      To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will take steps to encourage Government Departments to employ women with musculo-skeletal conditions and help them return to work; and if she...

  • Treasury

    • 2012 Olympics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which (a) officials and (b) Ministers were involved in discussions on the VAT status of the Olympic development authority before it was established; and...

    • 2012 Olympics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations his Department made to the Olympic Delivery Authority for contingencies in respect of (a) projects and (b) programmes in funding...

      2012 Olympics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what correspondence he has had with (a) the European Commission, (b) the French Government and (c) the International Olympic Committee on the...

      Barker Review

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recommendations the Treasury's review of land use planning by Kate Barker has made on amending planning regulations on out-of-town retail development.

      Census

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) for what purpose the Office for National Statistics is planning to include questions on household income in the next census; (2) what the average...

      Child Care Vouchers

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what proportion of people participating in pre-tax salary child care voucher schemes were in (a) starting, (b) basic and (c) upper rate tax...

      Child Trust Funds

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the take-up is of child trust funds in Oxford.

      Christmas Cards

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the Christmas cards prepared by his Department in 2005 were unused.

      Civil Servants

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes have occurred to (a) the number of civil servants employed and (b) the number of external consultants employed since the publication of the...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how much was paid in staff expenses in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last three financial years; (2) how much was paid in...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of (a) fixed line telephone bills and (b) mobile telephone bills in (i) his Department and (ii) each of its agencies in each of...

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what public relations companies were employed by his Department in each year between 1997 and 2002.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on television advertisements in the last year for which figures are available.

      DHL

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department paid to DHL in each financial year between 1997-98 and 2005-06.

      Economic Statistics (City of York)

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many VAT registered businesses there were in City of York (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) council area in each year since 1992.

      Government Resources and Accounts Act

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if HM Treasury will make an Order under section 25 of the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000 for the accounts of the regional chambers to be audited...

      High-level Group on Financial Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the minutes of the last meeting of the High-level Group on Financial Services.

      High-level Group on Financial Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who the members are of (a) the High-level Group on Financial Services and (b) each of its sub-committees.

      High-level Group on Financial Services

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the next meeting of the High-level Group on Financial Services is planned to take place.

      Household Statistics

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of household costs were accounted for by fuel costs for each income decile in the latest year for which information is available; and if he...

      Inheritance Tax

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total inheritance tax revenue from UK non-residents was in the last financial year for which figures are available.

      Interest Rates

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether interest rates on variable rate National Savings and Investment savings accounts will rise in line with the Bank of England's November rate rise.

      IT Projects

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current (a) estimated cost and (b) expected completion date is of each information technology project on the list deposited by his Department in...

      Local Tax Offices

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on the closure of local tax offices; (2) how many HM Revenue and Customs offices his Department plans to close in (a)...

      National Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people made voluntary national insurance contributions in each year for which records are available; and what the total value was of such...

      National Insurance

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications his Department made with the public regarding voluntary national insurance contributions in each year for which records are available;...

      Parallel Metrics Exercise

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on trialling a parallel metrics exercise with the 2008 research assessment exercise for universities.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what target his Department has for the maximum acceptable amount of time to answer written parliamentary questions; and what percentage of parliamentary...

      Party Political Funding

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether funds donated to political parties are tax deductible.

      Party Political Funding

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether party political donations by councillors of allowances granted in the performance of their duties are tax deductible.

      Pensions

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's estimate is of the cost of contracting out by way of (a) reduced national insurance contributions and (b) age-related rebates for...

      Planning Gain Supplement

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the proposed Planning Gain Supplement will be introduced as (a) a variable levy on development value and (b) a flat-rate roof tax.

      Premium Bonds

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what mechanisms exist to ensure that each premium bond has the same chance of winning as any other, regardless of the length of time that it has been held.

      Single Parents

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many single parents there were in each quarter from 2000-01 to 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

      Tax Credit Office

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been paid in the form of (a) consolatory payments and (b) compensation by the Tax Credit Office in each of the last five years.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many tax credit claims (a) were made by prisoners in the UK in each of the last three years and (b) have been made in 2006-07; and if he will...

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit verification checks are in operation.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in each ward of Wantage constituency are in receipt of working tax credit.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on working tax credit for families in Warrington, North in each year since its introduction.

      Tax Credits

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what take-up there has been of the childcare element of working tax credit, broken down by local authority area.

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the presentation and handouts produced by the Valuation Office Agency at the International Property Tax Institute...

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Valuation Office Agency has access to Mosaic data from Experian.

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what foreign visits have been undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency staff on official business in the last 12 months.

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of sending Valuation Office Agency representatives to the International Property Tax Institute Conference in Kuala Lumpur in August.

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Valuation Office Agency's assessment was of the rateable value of the Ripley Building in Whitehall in the last business rates evaluation.

  • Communities and Local Government

    • Arson

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were killed by (a) arson and (b) suspected arson in each year since 1997.

    • Consultants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which (a) public relations and (b) marketing firms have been hired by her Department and its predecessor since 2002; what the...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter of 2 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. J. Meehan.

      Departmental Estate

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the total floor space is of each of the buildings occupied (a) in whole and (b) in part by her Department.

      Departmental Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department on maintaining each of its websites in 2005-06; and how many visits each website received...

      Departmental Publications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many copies of the October 2006 Local Government White Paper have been sold at the full market rate.

      Departmental Publications

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many copies of the October 2006 Local Government White Paper were printed; and at what cost.

      Fires (Grassland)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many grassland and heathland fires there were in each year since 1986, in each (a) fire authority and (b) region.

      Local Government Act

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities have exercised their powers under the Local Government Act 2003 to hold a local referendum.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are...

      Private Finance Initiative

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which private finance initiative schemes, other than housing PFI, local authorities participate; and what approval is...

      Public Toilets

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the causes of the closures of public lavatories by local authorities.

      School Fires

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fires there were in schools in England in each month in each of the past four years.

      Valuation Office Agency

      To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) Cole Layer Trumble and (b) Tyler Technologies are providing assistance to the Valuation Office Agency with...

  • Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

    • Afghanistan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests the Government have received pressing for the UNHCR to intervene to assist Afghan refugees; and if she will make a...

    • Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in (a) Sudan, (b) the Central African Republic and (c) Chad about...

      Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to promote the control of arms flows in the horn of Africa.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will promote a United Nations Security Council resolution (a) calling attention to Burmese human rights abuses and (b)...

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the influence of the actions of the Burmese regime on regional peace and security.

      Burma

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is on referring Burma to the International Court of Justice for its use of forced labour.

      China

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had recently with the Chinese Ambassador on strengthening commercial, cultural and educational links...

      Correspondence

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she will reply to the letter of 12 October 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mr. K. Said.

      Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Congo on the arrest of the former presidential candidate...

      Democratic Republic of Congo

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the safety of nuclear facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many value for money exercises on the use of (a) management consultants and (b) professional advisers were conducted by...

      Departmental Statistics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which statistics have been put forward by her Department for consideration to become new national statistics in each of the last...

      Iraq

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on Site Four Prison in East Baghdad; what representations UK representatives have made about it to...

      Madagascar

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

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the economic and social impact on the Palestine village of Al-Walajah if the Israeli...

      Middle East

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department has made representations to the Israeli government on the construction of a wall in the village of Al-Walajah.

      Minister for Europe

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for which responsibilities the Minister for Europe reports (a) directly to the Prime Minister and (b) to her.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries she has visited on official business since May.

      Nigeria

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the conditions for British oil and gas workers in the Niger Delta.

      North Korea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to support measures to prevent another nuclear test by North Korea.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department uses an internal (a) traffic light and (b) colour coded system to answer written parliamentary...

      Refugees

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of refugees entering (a) Chad and (b) the Central African Republic; what assessment...

      Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government provided support to President Kagame of Rwanda (a) before and (b) in the immediate aftermath of his...

      Rwanda

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications for stability in the Great Lakes region of the French judicial authorities'...

      Saudi Arabia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has been informed of any planned visits to the UK by any Saudi government ministers in the next three months.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which there are links between Al-Qaeda and Islamic Courts in Somalia; and if she...

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the Somalia Monitoring Group's report and recommendations; and if she will make a statement.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports she has received on the security situation in Somalia.

      Somalia

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports she has received of the conflict in Somalia; and what action she is taking to establish a sustainable peace.

      South Africa

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had recently with the South African High Commissioner on strengthening commercial, cultural and...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of a new ground and air offensive in Sudan in the last week; and what representations she has made...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the briefing Jan Egeland delivered to the UN Security Council on the situation in Darfur.

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role the UK played in reaching the peace agreement in Eastern Sudan.

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the terms are of the recent peace agreement in Eastern Sudan; who is party to the agreement; what the time-scale is for its...

      Sudan

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Beja Congress on the eastern peace agreement in Sudan.

      Thailand

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of civil liberties in Thailand.

      Uganda

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on violence at the recent rally in Uganda to be addressed by the main opposition leader Dr Kizza...

      Zimbabwe/Uganda (Elections)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the conduct of the election (a) in Zimbabwe in 2001 and (b) in Uganda in 2006; and if she will...

  • Work and Pensions

    • Carbon Monoxide Deaths

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive will have a role in investigating the recent deaths of British citizens in Corfu due to carbon monoxide...

    • Children in Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the proportion of children in (a) Glenrothes and (b) Scotland living in poverty in each of the last 10 years.

      Council Tax Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Bristol, East constituency are in receipt of council tax benefit; and how many of those recipients are (a) pensioner...

      Employment and Support Allowance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he plans to announce the new benefit levels under the proposed employment and support allowance.

      Expatriate Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what factors were taken into account when deciding not to uprate in line with inflation the basic state pensions of pensioners living in (a)...

      Financial Assistance Scheme

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been paid out by the Financial Assistance Scheme since its inception; and how many people are receiving payments.

      Former Prisoners

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of former prisoners who are claiming social security benefits.

      Incapacity Benefit

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals by claimants against decisions on non-entitlement to incapacity benefit there have been in each year since 2000; what the...

      Local Housing Allowance Pathfinders

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to review the evaluation findings from the Local Housing Allowance Pathfinders on people aged under 25 years; and if he...

      Medical Assessments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of medical assessments for (a) disability living allowance, (b) attendance allowance, (c) industrial injuries disablement...

      Pensions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the data underlying the graph on page 46 of the response to the report by the Parliamentary Ombudsman 'Trusting...

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of households living in poverty in each UK constituency have (a) one parent and (b) both parents in work.

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children have been classed as living in poverty in each of the last 10 years when poverty is defined as (a) less than 50 per cent....

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what pension income a single pensioner in the UK would have needed in 2005-06 to avoid being classed as being in relative poverty on the 60 per...

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much income a single pensioner would have needed to receive in each year from 1990-91 to 2006-07 to avoid being classed as poor on the...

      Poverty

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what level of income a UK pensioner needed to avoid relative poverty on the 60(th) median income definition in each year from 1995-96 to...

      Social Fund

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the costs of administering the Social Fund were in each of the last 10 years.

      State Pension

      To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is the policy of his Department to make a statement on the timing of the restoration of the link between the basic state pension and...

  • Northern Ireland

    • Business Growth Plans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on Belfast, West owned businesses to implement growth plans through the development of markets outside Northern...

    • Environmental Improvement Schemes

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on environmental improvement schemes in each district council area in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

      Industrial Development Board

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many jobs the former Industrial Development Board created in Belfast, West in (a) 1992 to 1997 and (b) 1997 to 2001.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in the constituency of Belfast, West in each year since April 2002.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much Invest Northern Ireland has spent in Belfast, West constituency to support business improvement, trade development and knowledge...

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage financial assistance provided by Invest Northern Ireland was spent in Belfast, West constituency in each year since April 2002...

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many first-time inward-investment projects were located in Belfast, West constituency in each year since April 2002.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many inward-investment visits were arranged by INVEST Northern Ireland in Belfast, West constituency in each year since April 2002.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many inward-investment sponsored jobs have been lost in Belfast, West constituency since April 2004.

      Invest Northern Ireland

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much financial assistance has been given in the form of selective financial assistance by INVEST Northern Ireland to (a) encourage the...

      Local Government Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether a material change to a domestic property without a change to the ownership of the property will result in a change to the domestic rates...

      Rates Revaluation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated total cost of the Northern Ireland rates revaluation is in (a) absolute terms and (b) per house valued.

  • Education and Skills

    • A-level Syllabus

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of examinations boards have withdrawn the option of studying Chaucer as part of their A-level syllabus in the...

    • Bonus Payments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was paid in bonuses to civil servants in his Department each year since 2001-02; and how many civil servants received bonuses in...

      Children and Adoption Act 2006

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to bring into force each provision of the Children and Adoption Act 2006.

      Children in Care/Custody

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the mean per capita cost was of (a) keeping a child in care, (b) educating a child in care, (c) keeping a child in custody and (d)...

      Children's Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the Department will carry out a regulatory impact assessment on the implementation of children's centres as stipulated in "Every Child...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff have been employed through employment agencies in (a) his Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last five...

      Driving Jobs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people are being trained for driving jobs in (a) B, (b) B1, (c) C1, (d) C, (e) C1 and E, (f) D, (g) D1, (h) D1 and E, (i)...

      Driving Jobs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants are available for (a) employers wishing to train staff and (b) individuals wishing to gain training in driving-related employment.

      Educational Psychologists

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received about the funding of trainee educational psychologists in the last 12 months; and if he will make a...

      Energy Use

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what regulations govern the minimum and maximum temperatures for (a) permanent and (b) temporary classrooms in (i) primary and (ii)...

      Foster Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the use of long-term specialist foster carers to accommodate young people who run away from home; and if he...

      Free Speech (Universities)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has issued on the implementation of statutory duties in relation to free speech and freedom of association on...

      Further Education Finance

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will take steps to improve the predictability of finance and income streams for further education institutions; and if he will make a...

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university and college admissions service applications there were in each of the last five years; how many came from each...

      Higher Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications for funding by international students wishing to study at higher education institutions in England were received in...

      Independent Schools

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many special needs units were (a) opened and (b) closed in maintained schools in each year since 1997, broken down by local...

      Learning and Skills Council

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of Learning and Skills Council funding was spent on remedial training for (a) level one and (b) level two qualifications...

      Ministerial Travel

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the occasions since he has held his present office when he has used (a) rail services, (b) the London Underground, (c)...

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether his Department has a traffic light system in place for processing parliamentary questions, where questions are categorised using a...

      Prisoner Education

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research his Department has (a) conducted and (b) evaluated regarding the effect of prisoner education on reoffending rates; and if...

      Runaway Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to publish the evaluation report on the six developmental projects providing emergency accommodation for young runaways; and...

      Runaway Children

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received on provision of support for young people who have run away from home; and if he will make a...

      School Meals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will ban the use of hydrogenated oils and fats in foods served and sold in school canteens.

      Special Needs

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2006, Official Report, column 109W, on special needs, what training on dyslexia the nationally...

      Student Finance/Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in what circumstances a woman with a family on low income is eligible for a maintenance grant to study for a degree; and if he will make a...

      Student Finance/Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the extent to which student loans are made available to those on low incomes.

      Student Finance/Loans

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford and (b) the London Borough of Bexley are repaying student loans.

      The Olympics

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role he plans for the further education sector in delivering his Olympic strategy; and if he will make a statement.

      University Departments

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what change there has been in the number of (a) physics, (b) chemistry and (c) engineering departments at English universities in the...

      University Students

      To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university students there were in England on (a) 2 May 1997 and (b) the most recent date for which figures are available.

  • Duchy of Lancaster

    • Departmental Bodies

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost of the (a) social exclusion task force, (b) Better Regulation Executive and (c) Office of the Third Sector has been since their...

    • Departmental Publications

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Guidance on Information Assurance security policy will be published as part of the Cabinet Office's Transformational Government programme.

      e-Government

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what estimate she has made of the proportion of dealings with Government which can be done by a member of the public electronically.

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) when she expects to publish the Cabinet Office's gender equality scheme; (2) what steps she is taking to ensure that the Cabinet Office is...

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans she has to carry out gender impact assessments of major policy developments and new legislation as required by the forthcoming gender...

      Health and Safety Offences

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what representations she has received from the Health and Safety Commission Unit on the levels of fines for health and safety offences; and if she...

      Ministerial Residences

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what trades and services are provided by the agency and specialist sub-contractors providing maintenance to Admiralty House.

      Ministerial Residences

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether public expenditure has been incurred in refurbishing the flat above 10 Downing street since 31 March.

      Private Finance Initiatives

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the total capital value is of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by her Department which has reached financial close; over what...

      Volunteering

      To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much funding has been given to the GoldStar volunteering programme; and if she will make a statement.

  • Constitutional Affairs

    • Atos Origin

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what services the new Atos Origin managed network service will provide to her Department; what the cost of the service is; and...

    • Consultancy Contracts

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which of those departmental consultancy contracts referred to in her answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, column 850W,...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many staff were employed on a consultancy basis in (a) her Department and (b) each of its agencies in each of the last...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many value for money exercises on the use of (a) management consultants and (b) professional advisers were conducted by...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her Department's annual budget is for employing workers on a consultancy basis; and how much of this budget was used in...

      Dispersal Orders

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many appeals against dispersal orders there have been in each year since their introduction.

      Freedom of Information

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on how many occasions her Department has released information under a Freedom of Information request that was previously...

      Legal Aid

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) when the results of the consultation entitled "Legal Aid: a sustainable future" will be published; (2) when she expects...

      Magistrates

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the effect will be of the new anti-age discrimination legislation on the 70 years of age limit on serving magistrates.

      Magistrates

      To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many magistrates are aged (a) 20 to 30, (b) 30 to 39, (c) 40 to 49, (d) 50 to 59 and (e) 60 to 69 years.

  • Deputy Prime Minister

    • Departmental Contracts

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Office has paid to DHL since its establishment.

    • Departmental Gifts

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the average cost was of gifts given to overseas dignitaries at public cost by him in each of the last five years; and what the cost was of (a) the most...

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department has an incentive or bonus remuneration scheme for staff.

      Departmental Website

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the www.dpm.gov.uk website has cost since its creation.

      Ministerial Visits

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost to public funds, including paying for the expenses of his staff, was of his visit to the MIPIM Property Development Conference in Cannes in 2005.

      Slave Trade Abolition

      To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many meetings of the Advisory Group on the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the British empire there have been; if he will publish the...

  • Prime Minister

    • Baker Commission

      To ask the Prime Minister if he will place a copy of the transcript of his evidence to the Baker Commission in the Library; and if he will make a statement.

    • Downing Street Payroll

      To ask the Prime Minister (1) what the annual cost was of the No. 10 Downing street staff payroll as of 1 April; (2) how many staff were employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time by his...

      Ecclesiastical Appointments

      To ask the Prime Minister what the average length of interregnum was between the departure and new appointment of (a) bishops and (b) cathedral deans whose appointments lay within his...

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Prime Minister (1) when he expects to publish his Office's gender equality scheme; (2) what steps he is taking to ensure that his Office is taking steps to meet the requirements of...

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Prime Minister what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work in his Office are aware of their duties under gender equality legislation when they are...

      Pakistan

      To ask the Prime Minister what the dates were of his recent visit to Pakistan; what his itinerary was; which Pakistani Government Ministers he met; and which other meetings he held during the visit.

      Parliamentary Questions

      To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office uses an internal traffic light or colour-coded system to prioritise answers to written parliamentary questions.

      Press and Media

      To ask the Prime Minister what No. 10 Downing street's budget for consultants to assist with information, publicity, press and media (a) is in 2006-07 and (b) was in 2005-06.

  • Home Department

    • Airport Security

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were in 2005 as a result of incidents related to security breaches airside at (a) Heathrow, (b) Gatwick, (c)...

    • Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers had been receiving section 4 support for more than 12 months on 30 September.

      Asylum Seekers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of section 4 support for failed asylum seekers was in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

      ATMs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what initiatives are being undertaken jointly with the banking industry on crime prevention in relation to the use of ATMs.

      Child Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to find child abusers who have access to children through (a) education and (b) the church; and if he will make a...

      Child Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation governs the making and distribution of pornographic text describing the abuse of children; and if he will make a statement.

      Child Abuse

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what legislation governs the making and distribution of indecent images, which are not photographs, of children; and if he will make a statement.

      Departmental Accommodation

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) the annual cost of maintenance is and (b) the total value is of (i) the First, Second and Third Floors, 24 Greenwich High Road and...

      Departmental Computers

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many computers have been stolen from his Department in the last nine years; and what their total value was.

      Departmental Energy

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much energy consumed by his Department is acquired from renewable sources.

      Departmental Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of staff employed in the top five grades of his Department have (a) a graduate qualification in IT and (b) previous...

      Disabled Staff

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of staff employed in his Department were registered disabled in each year since 2001.

      Drugs

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average London street price of (a) herbal cannabis, (b) skunk, (c) cocaine, (d) crack, (e) heroin and (f) ecstasy was in each...

      Gender Equality

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that private organisations contracted to work (a) in his Department and (b) for non-departmental public...

      Heroin

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of heroin trafficked into the United Kingdom in 2005-06 which came through Scotland.

      Illegal Migrant Population

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to estimate the illegal migrant population residing in the UK.

      Immigration Detention Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many former prisoners who had completed their sentences were held in immigration detention centres on 30 September.

      Ipcc

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms and conditions are for Commissioners of the Independent Police Complaints Commission; how their performance is monitored; and...

      Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are in place in relation to fundraising charities associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the UK.

      Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ban fundraising networks in the United Kingdom which are associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

      London Transport Crime

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were committed on (a) buses and (b) trains in London in each of the last five years, broken down by type of crime.

      National Offender Management Service

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisations supported the creation of the National Offender Management Service in the recent consultation.

      Parenting Orders

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders requiring parents to attend parenting classes have been made to residents of (a) Hendon and (b) Barnet in the...

      Parliamentary Draftsmen

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in his Department are employed to draft legislation.

      Paul Kagame

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the UK will support the international arrest warrants served by France against Paul Kagame.

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have produced on police officers commenting on (i) local elections and (ii) local...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in (a) England and Wales, (b) the North West, (c) Greater Manchester and (d) Manchester, Gorton...

      Police

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent (a) police officers, (b) community support officers and (c) police civilian staff were employed by North...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of long prison sentences on re-offending rates; on what evidence his assessment is based; and if he...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners re-offended within two years of release in the most recent year for which figures are available.

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many Category D prisoners over the age of 70 years are serving sentences in jails in England and Wales; (2) how many Category D...

      Prisons

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of prisoners in Wales who may be entitled to compensation for having drug substitution treatment...

      Road Accident Victims

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department will continue to fund the support pack for victims of road accidents provided by Brakecare; and if he will make a...

      Road Safety

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were (a) disqualified from driving and (b)(i) caught and (ii) prosecuted for driving while disqualified (A) in total,...

      State Opening

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals were (a) detained and (b) arrested in the area of Westminster during the state opening of Parliament on 15 November 2006.

      Stop and Search

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his Department has finalised the guidance on the use of stop and search under the Terrorism Act 2000.

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people there are in the National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit.

      Terrorism

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to protect the charitable sector from terrorist abuse.

      Unpaid Work Requirements

      To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many convicted criminals whose unpaid work requirements were completed early after good progress between (a) April 2006 and June...

  • Health

    • Adult Social Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will set a new health care standard in the national minimum standards for adult social care to ensure that care home residents receive...

    • Breast Treatment

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made towards achieving the Government's commitment for all people with breast problems to be seen by a specialist within two weeks;...

      Carbon Monoxide

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning in the last 10 years.

      Carbon Monoxide

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking (a) to prevent deaths caused by carbon monoxide poisoning and (b) to raise awareness of the dangers of carbon...

      Health Care Expenditure

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much per capita was spent on health services in (a) Hartlepool constituency and (b) England in each of the last 10 years.

      Health Centres

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she gives to (a) health trusts and (b) social services departments in respect of health centres which provide (i) long-stay and (ii)...

      Health Professionals

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent (i) doctors, (ii) nurses and (iii) other health professionals were employed by independent sector...

      Health Visitors

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that health visitors are fully involved in the Government's plans to teach parenting skills.

      Hospital Marketing Code

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what consultations have taken place with non-departmental bodies on the introduction of the hospitals marketing code; (2) if she will introduce...

      Hospital-Acquired Infections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS was of hospital-acquired infections in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

      Hospital-Acquired Infections

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS trusts she expects to halve their infection rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by 2008; and if she will make a statement.

      Infant Formula Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2006, Official Report, column 75W, on infant formula milk, what powers she has to prevent (a) the use of goats...

      Infant Formula Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for ending the practice of using goats milk protein in infant formula milk.

      Infant Formula Milk

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many British-based companies include goats milk protein in the manufacture of (a) infant formula and (b) follow-on formula; how many infant...

      Influenza Vaccine (Plymouth)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health why GP surgeries in Plymouth will not receive their full orders of influenza vaccine until December.

      Lyme Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of Lyme disease there have been in each strategic health authority area over the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

      Lyme Disease

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standard clinical practice is for diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease; and if she will make a statement.

      Maternity Care

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which hospitals have lost neonatal intensive care cots due to the impact of NHS trust deficits; (2) how many neonatal intensive care cots were...

      Medical Error

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to minimise fatalities due to medical error in hospitals.

      Mental Health Services

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to increase the number of acute beds for mental health patients of (a) working age and (b) above working age in Gloucestershire.

      Migraine

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of (a) adults and (b) children who experience migraine attacks in England.

      Myasthenia Gravis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the prevalence rate of myasthenia gravis is; what NHS funded (a) treatment and (b) research facilities there are for the condition; and if she will...

      Neurology/Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which specialist epileptic care units in (a) Greater London, broken down by London borough, and (b) England require additional funding in order to...

      Neurology/Epilepsy

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what process children with epilepsy go through in order to obtain a statement of special educational needs; and how they are assessed.

      New Burton House

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding the possible closure of New Burton House in Stafford.

      Next of Kin

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people were unable to provide a next of kin whilst seeking medical treatment in each year since 2000; how many of these were consequently...

      NHS Compensation

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was paid by the NHS in compensation in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust; and for...

      NHS Foundation Trusts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with Monitor on the number of compulsory redundancies made by NHS foundation trusts in the first six months of 2006-07.

      NHS Foundation Trusts

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to alter the role of Monitor in determining the borrowing powers of NHS foundation trusts.

      Rheumatoid Arthritis (Anti-TNF Drugs)

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the extent to which NHS patients have access to the new generation of anti-TNF drugs for rheumatoid arthritis.

      Royal Free Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health which services (a) have been and (b) will be transferred from Mount Vernon to Royal Free Hospital; and if she will make a statement.

      Royal Free Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on refurbishment of the Royal Free Hospital Trust buildings; and if she will make a statement.

      Royal Free Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of the Choose and Book system at the Royal Free Hospital since its introduction; how many additional staff have been employed to...

      Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future of the accident and emergency department at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

      Sleep Apnoea

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of people in (a) England, (b) Redbridge and (c) Waltham Forest who have sleep apnoea; what treatment is...

      Tranquilisers/Anti-depressants

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending per head on GP prescribed (a) tranquilisers and (b) anti-depressants in (i) England and (ii) each primary care trust area of England...

      Tuberculosis

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many X-ray facilities for tuberculosis screening (a) there are and (b) are planned at ports and airports other than Heathrow and Gatwick.

      West Suffolk Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated journey time is from West Suffolk Hospital to (a) Ipswich Hospital, (b) Addenbrooke's Hospital, (c) Norfolk and Norwich University...

      Whipps Cross Hospital

      To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the likely implications are for Whipps Cross hospital of the decision to invest in Barts hospital; and if she will make a statement.

  • House of Lords

    • Agriculture: Land Ownership

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Baroness Ashton of Upholland on 9 October (WA 8-9), which indicated that 56.7 per cent of the land area of England and Wales is...

    • British Citizenship

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Triesman on 7 November (WA 130), whether they will now give the dates and cost of the visit by a member of staff from the...

      Civil Service: County Fermanagh

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they propose to move Civil Service jobs out of County Fermanagh over the next five years; and, if so, to where they will be moved, why they will be moved,...

      Civil Service: Northern Ireland Sick Leave

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service are entitled to annual sick leave without a doctor's certificate; if so, how much sick leave they are...

      Civil Service: Smoking Breaks

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether civil servants in Northern Ireland who take smoking breaks outside their office complex are monitored to ensure that the number of hours per week for which...

      Civil Service: Smoking Breaks

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have any proposals to ban Northern Ireland civil servants from smoking while in a static position within 50 yards of the entrance to public buildings.

      Civil Service: Strabane

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they propose to move Civil Service jobs from the Strabane area of County Tyrone over the next five years; if so, where the jobs will move to; why the jobs...

      Climate Change: Greenhouse Gases

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How much methane has been lost by leakage from gas transmission and distribution systems in the United Kingdom in each of the past four years; and what measures...

      Climate Change: Greenhouse Gases

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How much nitrous oxide is emitted by the agricultural sector in the United Kingdom; and what policies are in place to reduce those emissions.

      Corruption: Overseas Use of UK Companies

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What measures are in place to prevent United Kingdom shell companies being used to conceal the facilitating of bribery and corruption overseas.

      Crime: Offences Brought to Justice

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In respect of adults, how many of the total offences brought to justice in each of the past five years were made up of penalty notices for disorder; prosecutions;...

      Crime: Rape

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether "no crime" designation under police logging arrangements for rape cases are entered into national statistics on rape.

      Crime: Rape

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will publish statistics on the reporting of rape which identify the total number of accusations (a) treated as false accusations following an inquiry...

      Crime: Rape

      asked Her Majesty's Government: In how many cases concerning rape referred by the Criminal Cases Review Commission to the Court of Appeal for review DNA has been taken or taken and retained...

      Demonstrations: "Sack Parliament"

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What was the cost of the police operation in connection with the "Sack Parliament" demonstration on 9 October.

      Elections: Review of Systems

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When, and in what form, they expect to publish the outcome of the review by the Department for Constitutional Affairs of electoral systems in the United Kingdom.

      Environment: Aarhus Convention

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether any of the provisions of the Aarhus convention have yet to be implemented in (a) the European Union, and (b) the United Kingdom.

      Estate Agents

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What plans they have to extend the regulation of estate agents.

      Extraordinary Rendition

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether any illegal extraordinary rendition flights organised by United States agencies and others are occurring over United Kingdom airspace.

      Fair Trade

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What plans they have to promote the concept of fair trade in Northern Ireland.

      Festivals: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What plans they have to increase training for those in Northern Ireland who organise community festivals.

      Gulf War Illnesses

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answer by Lord Sainsbury of Turville on 16 October (WA 174), what proportion of the £20,000 to £25,000 spent by the Medical...

      Gulf War Illnesses

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When the Medical Research Council reached the recently reported view that further research into Gulf War illness may not be worthwhile; and on what date and in...

      Health: Foreign Doctors

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether in the interests of patient safety doctors and nurses from other European Union member states are required to demonstrate their competence in the English...

      Immigration: Detention

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many people were being detained under immigration laws in (a) prisons, and (b) immigration detention centres on the first day of each month in 2006 to date.

      InterTradeIreland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What is the community background of the employees of InterTradeIreland.

      Israel and Palestine: Occupied Territories

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will formally request the International Committee of the Red Cross to reconvene the Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva...

      Israel and Palestine: Security Wall

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have made representations to the Government of Israel concerning the positioning of the security wall in relation to existing settlements, together...

      Israel and Palestine: US Government Attitude

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have assessed the impact of the Prime Minister's video-link conference with the Iraq Study Group on 14 November on the attitude by the Government of...

      Israel: Detention Without Charge

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have made representations to the Government of Israel about the case of Mr Ziyad Muhammad Shehadeh Hmeidan, a field worker for the Al-Haq...

      Kosovo: Christian Churches

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have received any representations relating to the desecration or destruction of Christian churches in Kosovo.

      Official Travel: Bilderberg Conference

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Further to the Written Answers by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 24 October (WA 231) and 2 November (WA 66), whether they will now reconsider their Answer to the...

      Rally Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they expect to have all the costing for Rally Ireland in 2005 and 2006.

      Regulation

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How they will respond to European Union Commissioner Verheugen's paper to cut red tape in the European Union by 25 per cent by 2012; and to German Chancellor...

      Rural Payments Agency

      asked Her Majesty's Government: When they expect to resolve the employment status of the former chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency.

      Russia: Assassinations

      asked Her Majesty's Government: What assessment they have made of the implications which the assassination of Anna Politkovskaya and the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko may have for future...

      Squirrels

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether, following the depiction of a red squirrel on the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Christmas card, they propose to increase commitment and the availability of...

      St Andrews Agreement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the issue of increased funding for victims was a feature of the St Andrews agreement of 2006; and, if so, what was agreed.

      St Andrews Agreement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the retention of academic selection in Northern Ireland was a feature of the St Andrews agreement of 2006; and, if so, what was agreed.

      St Andrews Agreement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the date for devolution of policing and justice to a Northern Ireland Executive was a feature of the St Andrews agreement of 2006; and, if so, what was agreed.

      St Andrews Agreement

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether the St Andrews agreement of 2006 is binding in international law; and whether it has the same status as the 1998 Belfast agreement.

      Terrorism: Secret Tribunals

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they have proposals to cease using tribunals held in secret to handle terrorist suspect cases.

      Water Service: Northern Ireland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: Why the recruitment advertisements which were placed in the Belfast Telegraph on 17 November for the Water Service in Northern Ireland did not outline the range of...

      Young Offender Institutions: Portland

      asked Her Majesty's Government: How many hours per day young prisoners in HM Young Offender Institution, Portland spend taking exercise in the open air; and How much of young prisoners' time in...

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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