Questions for Oral Answer
As At Wednesday, 5 November 2003

Questions to Ministers

1. ROD DONALD to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Does the Government support Commonwealth Secretary-General Rt Hon Don McKinnon's bid for a second term as Secretary-General; if so, why?

2. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement that she believes the Land Transport Management Bill "is very good legislation. It is not the policy of this Government to put things right."; if so, has she communicated this view to the business and local government groups who have serious concerns with this bill?

3. DAVID PARKER to the Minister of Agriculture: What progress has the Government made in promoting organic agriculture and enabling consumer choice?

4. KATHERINE RICH to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF): What is the reason that the Department of Child, Youth and Family Services does not know how many children are in its care, and after four years in Government who does she think is responsible for this lack of information?

5. DIANNE YATES to the Minister of Broadcasting: What is the contribution of publicly-owned broadcasting to New Zealand's cultural and economic development?

6. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Why did she say yesterday "This country has very careful mechanisms for assessing what drugs it is appropriate to fund, and I am not aware that those mechanisms and procedures have changed substantially in recent years, at all.", and further "I suggest the member put down a question on notice with specific reference to the question of Alzheimer's drugs. It is this Government's determination to provide proper treatment for people across the range of conditions."?

7. Hon PETER DUNNE to the Minister of Health: Does the Ministry of Health monitor the amount of spare capacity in both the public and the private health-care sectors; if not, why not?

8. SIMON POWER to the Minister of Defence: Will the Government be increasing the defensive capabilities of the New Zealand Defence Force engineering unit in Iraq, in light of the injury of a soldier deployed there; if not, why not?

9. Dr ASHRAF CHOUDHARY to the Minister of Education: What steps is he taking to support teachers to develop their expertise in using information and communications technology to help students learn?

10. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Finance: Further to his answer to oral question number 3 on 17 September, when does he intend making available the result of the economic analysis of diversions from the petrol excise tax into the Crown account?

11. Dr PAUL HUTCHISON to the Minister for Crown Research Institutes: Given that AgResearch's Wallaceville research facility has been described as in a "climate of fear", how does its likely closure fit in with the Government's aim of attracting, training, and retaining scientists?

12. HEATHER ROY to the Minister of Health: Did the Ministry of Health have any legal liability for the $74,146.96 exclusive of GST tax bill owed on the koha payments made by Te Whare Whakapikiora O Te Rangimarie Trust to voluntary staff; if not, why did the Ministry pay the tax bill for a health trust whose contract it had not renewed?

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