Questions for Oral Answer
As At Wednesday, 26 May 2004
Questions to Ministers
1. STEVE CHADWICK to the Minister of Health: What is she doing to improve access to orthopaedic services?
2. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister for Land Information: Why did he tell the House on 12 August 2003 that he stood by
statements that "significant chunks of the foreshore ... has private ownership title" and that we are talking about
thousands and not hundreds of kilometres of private title to the foreshore, and on 13 August 2003 say that his initial
assessment was "based on Land Information New Zealand's advice, which was drawn from preliminary work in this area",
when papers just released under the Official Information Act 1982 show that advice requested by him and received on 18
July and confirmed on 25 July said "officials' preliminary view is that the quantum is very small"?
3. SUE KEDGLEY to the Minister of Health: Can she confirm that PHARMAC has expressed its "severe reservations" about
some aspects of the proposed joint Trans-Tasman Agency to regulate therapeutic products; if so, what were its
reservations?
4. Hon MATT ROBSON to the Minister for Economic Development: In what ways will this year's Budget support the ongoing
development and implementation of the Growth and Innovation Framework?
5. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Prime Minister: Does she have confidence in the Minister for Land Information; if so, why?
6. HELEN DUNCAN to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What reports has he received on the number of
people receiving the unemployment benefit?
7. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education): Does he regard Christchurch Polytechnic
Institute of Technology spending at least $80,000 on inducements as a breach of interim funding guide rules; if not, why
not?
8. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Minister of Immigration: What steps is he contemplating to regulate the immigration
industry?
9. Hon ROGER SOWRY to the Minister of Energy: When was he first informed of the issue of capacity restraints on the
national grid in the upper South Island?
10. Hon MATT ROBSON to the Associate Minister of Health: What recent funding announcements has the Labour Progressive
Government made to combat the problem of drug abuse and suicide prevention?
11. HEATHER ROY to the Minister of Finance: Following his reply to written questions 6532 and 6535, does he believe it
fair that a hard-working family earning $50,000 a year is less than $7,000 a year better off than a family earning
$25,000 a year, and will his Budget widen or narrow this gap?
12. JUDY TURNER to the Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment (CYF): Does she agree that "Child, Youth
and Family plays a pivotal role in our system, but there's no denying there have been deficiencies in all its statutory
obligations", as stated recently by Principal Youth Court Judge, Andrew Becroft; if not, why not?
ENDS