Wednesday, 07 May 2003

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS

1. LARRY BALDOCK to the Minister of Finance: Does the Government have any plans to provide financial assistance to Tranz Rail, such as subsidies, to avoid the possibility of statutory management if that is seen as necessary to maintain the integrity of the national rail network?

2. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Prime Minister: Further to her response to oral question No 3 in the House yesterday, that “There will be significant change to the model to ensure that stand-by generation can be kept aside, so that if we strike exceptionally dry years like this one, people will not be asked to make the sacrifices they have been asked to make, again.”, can she explain what specific changes will be made and will these changes avert the possibility of New Zealanders experiencing blackouts and cold showers this winter?

3. JILL PETTIS to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): What reports has he received on the Gateway initiative to provide structured workplace learning opportunities for senior school students?

4. STEPHEN FRANKS to the Minister of Justice: How many of the 1,017 persons who have served all or part of their sentence on home detention since 1 July 2002 have reoffended during the period they were supposed to be on home detention?

5. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in the Attorney- General; if so, why?

6. DAVID BENSON-POPE to the Minister of Education: What steps is the Government taking to improve effective classroom teaching for students of diverse backgrounds?

7. GERRY BROWNLEE to the Minister of Energy: What is his response to the president of the Contractors’ Federation, who stated this morning: “The Government has had ample warning of another shortage, but has sat on its hands”?

8. NANAIA MAHUTA to the Minister of Youth Affairs: What initiatives is the Government undertaking to support youth development?

9. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for Environment: What advice has she received on how the Resource Management Amendment Bill (No 2) will help New Zealand address the current energy crisis?

10. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Justice: What specific checks and ongoing monitoring occurs with respect to offenders serving all or part of their sentence under home detention, and who specifically carries out this role?

11. Dr LYNDA SCOTT to the Minister of Health: Why is Pharmac proposing to change from onemonth dispensing to three-month dispensing of prescription medicines when, as a result of that change, it is estimated the wastage of discarded medicines will increase by $35 million a year?

12. JEANETTE FITZSIMONS to the Minister of Energy: What was the basis for his statement in the House on 29 April, in relation to solar water heating, that “when one starts to do the arithmetic, one finds they are not hugely useful”?

ENDS

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