Wednesday, 19 February 2003

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Immigration: What were the total numbers of immigrants that came to New Zealand in the 2001 calendar year and the 2002 calendar year?

2. DIANNE YATES to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What progress has the Government made in establishing further centres of research excellence?

3. RODNEY HIDE to the Minister for Economic Development: Does he believe his advisers were misled by the “New Zealand-owned, overseas-based super yacht building company” when it stated it had “contracts to build five super yachts in its next financial year, estimated to generate approximately $US50 million in sales revenue”; if not, what progress, if any, have his officials reported on this project?

4. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister for Economic Development: Does the Government support initiatives to stimulate the domestic economy?

5. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement to the House that the Operation Enduring Freedom maritime interdiction operation “is an entirely separate operation with its own command structure”; if so, why?

6. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Justice: What are the longest non-parole terms which have been imposed on offenders in New Zealand sentenced to life imprisonment for murder?

7. Dr DON BRASH to the Minister of Finance: What action has been taken by the Government to “establish the world’s most business friendly regulatory regime”, the key objective from theme group four of the first Knowledge Wave Conference?

8. SUE BRADFORD to the Minister of Social Services and Employment: Are young people aged 16 and 17, who have no support from family or partners, eligible for unemployment or sickness benefits; if not, is he concerned that such people may be at risk of turning to activities such as prostitution to make ends meet?

9. HEATHER ROY to the Minister of Health: Can she give an assurance that the ongoing senior doctors’ strikes at Timaru Hospital are not the result of the Government under-funding the South Canterbury District Health Board; if so, on what basis can she give this assurance?

10. DAVID PARKER to the Minister for Rural Affairs: What has the Government done about investigating issues surrounding land access?

11. Dr LYNDA SCOTT to the Minister of Health: When did she find out that Capital and Coast District Health Board under spent its cardiac surgery budget by $1.7 million in 2001/02 and, as she will not conduct an inquiry, does she actually intend to do anything to ensure that the 181 patients nationally waiting over six months get surgery?

12. PETER BROWN to the Minister for ACC: In light of the 1997 pledges on behalf of ACC made by the current Chief Executive, Mr Garry Wilson, that: only people who have completed a vocational rehabilitation programme and have a clear capacity to work will be referred for assessment; claimants who have been severely disadvantaged by injury will not be referred for assessment; and highly skilled claimants will not be assessed as having a capacity to work in low skill positions; can she explain any changes to ACC policy since that time?

QUESTIONS TO MEMBERS

1. Hon RICHARD PREBBLE to the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee: Has a committee meeting been set to consider the petition of Kenneth Wang and others requesting a review of the new English language immigration tests?

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