Today's questions for oral answer by Ministers. Paraphrased answers to these questions will be posted in the Headlines wire shortly after 3pm.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
Wednesday, 21 June 2000

Questions to Ministers

1. Taito Phillip Field to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: What is the Government doing in response to the report of the Ministerial Inquiry into the Department of Work and Income?

2. Rt Hon. Wyatt Creech to the Minister of Health: Of the $412 million additional taxpayers' money to be spent on health this year announced in the Budget, how much of that was actually new money as opposed to money already committed last year by the National Government as part of either the sustainable funding path or the demographic growth factor, and how does this amount compare with total increases in appropriation for Vote Health for the last five years?

3. Kevin Campbell to the Minister of Customs: Has a New Zealand flagged fishing vessel been refused permission to land toothfish in the port of Montevideo, Uruguay?

4. Hon. Max Bradford to the Minister of Labour: What are the fundamental principles of the Employment Relations Bill she said will not be changed, when interviewed by Radio New Zealand on 13 June, and what are the "hot spots" that will be?

5. Chris Carter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Who did the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meet with in Fiji and what was the message the Action Group delivered?

6. Hon. Dr Nick Smith to the Minister of Forestry: Which Crown-owned indigenous forests will be able to be logged as a consequence of a change in policy from that in the Speech from the Throne that refers to stopping native logging on Crown land to that released in Cabinet papers under the Official Information Act that "Government policy is to end indigenous logging on Crown-managed land as soon as is practicable"?

7. Hon. Richard Prebble to the Minister assisting the Prime Minister on Auckland Issues: In light of the New Zealand Herald story under the headline "Can this career be saved" and the comment she "hasn't done much to justify her salary so far, if the Budget is any indication", can she give reasons why her career can be saved?

8. Dianne Yates to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology: What is the Government's vision for research, science and technology?

9. Hon. Peter Dunne to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: Is he satisfied with all aspects of the operations of the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services?

10. Dr Lynda Scott to the Minister for Disability Issues: On what basis did she determine that the cost of removing asset testing for the elderly would be more than $200 million?

11. Tim Barnett to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What steps is the Government taking to keep student fees from going up next year?

12. Belinda Vernon to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: How does he reconcile his view that changes announced in the Government's response to the Hunn Report will bring about "fundamental" change to the Department of Work and Income, with those of the beneficiary representative who doesn't "see that it will make any difference at all"?

ENDS

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