Paraphrased answers to today's questions in Parliament will be posted in the Headlines wire shortly after 3pm.

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
Tuesday, 20 June 2000

Questions to Ministers

1. Hon. Bill English to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with the statement by the Prime Minister, on research and development, that "For the time being, the Treasury has gained the upper hand in scaring the pants off the Minister of Finance about the possible leakage to the revenue base ..."?

2. Mark Peck to the Minister of Finance: What reports has he received on the Government's projected fiscal surpluses?

3. Rt Hon. Wyatt Creech to the Minister of Health: For what reason did the Government change its pre-election commitment to spend about $200 million a year on extra elective surgery, as reported in the New Zealand Herald on 20 October 1999, and instead provide for only $95 million for extra elective surgery in 2000/01?

4. Judy Keall to the Minister of Health: What reaction has she received to the Government's mental health budget package?

5. Dr Wayne Mapp to the Minister of Defence: Why is the Government not intending to provide any additional capital to purchase urgent armed forces equipment in the coming year?

6. Keith Locke to the Minister of Defence: Why does the Defence policy framework not support the option in recommendation 5 of the Inquiry into Defence Beyond 2000 report "to disband the jet training and strike capability" of the Defence Force?

7. Hon. Max Bradford to the Minister of Labour: What advice has she given the Government on taking action against the Council of Trade Unions and unions undertaking various forms of strike and boycott activity over the Fiji crisis, which the Prime Minister has reportedly said are not consistent with current labour law?

8. Nanaia Mahuta to the Associate Minister of Education: Is there a single solution for closing the gaps in educational achievement between Maori and other New Zealanders?

9. Dr Muriel Newman to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: Following on from his reported statement in December that there was to be no repeat of the "culture of extravagance" at the Department of Work and Income, how many departmental staff have membership to Air New Zealand's up-market Koru Club and what is the total cost to taxpayers?

10. Grant Gillon to the Minister for Economic Development: What reports has he received concerning the support for a "Kiwi Bank" and what do these reports indicate?

11. Phil Heatley to the Minister of Customs: What was the total cost of the recent Customs exercise involving an imaginary boatload of refugees off the Northland coast, and does she agree with her spokeswoman that "the operation itself had worked"?

12. Rt Hon. Winston Peters to the Minister of Finance: Will the Overseas Investment Commission be consulting the seafood industry in respect to any or all applications which seek to permit an overseas person or company to hold an interest in quota?

ENDS

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