Questions for Oral Answer
As At Tuesday, 17 May 2005

Questions to Ministers

1. NANDOR TANCZOS to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does he have confidence in his Ministry's administration of student allowances?

2. Hon BILL ENGLISH to the Minister of Education: What responsibility does he take for the 2004 scholarship "debacle" and does this responsibility conflict with his role as Minister of State Services, in charge of the body that conducted the inquiry into Scholarship 2004?

3. GEORGINA BEYER to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What is the Government doing to improve access to Government services for rural New Zealanders?

4. Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS to the Prime Minister: Has her Minister of Immigration, with regard to last night's TV One News coverage of bogus job offers, and a reported lack of staff and funding within the New Zealand Immigration Service to deal with the problem, advised her of the case of a Mr Feng Li, from Innovatory Technologies (NZ) Company Ltd, who allegedly uses phoney work permits for Chinese students who go on to gain permanent residency; if so, why does she still have confidence in her Minister of Immigration?

5. LIANNE DALZIEL to the Minister of Justice: What changes is the Government proposing so that access to legal representation and therefore to justice is not restricted to those with the ability to pay?

6. JOHN KEY to the Minister of Finance: When he said on Friday that "There is little room for large new initiatives, including tax cuts," did he mean he was ruling out changes to tax thresholds in Budget 2005?

7. GORDON COPELAND to the Minister of Commerce: Is he confident that the interest charging procedures of banks operating in New Zealand are subject to adequate legal scrutiny?

8. RODNEY HIDE to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her statement, in relation to alleged bullying of students by Hon David Benson-Pope, that the allegations are utterly reprehensible, and that "this, I think, says rather condemnatory things about both Rodney Hide and TV3."; if so, why?

9. LYNNE PILLAY to the Minister of Education: What progress is the Government making towards addressing skill shortages through the Modern Apprenticeships scheme?

10. Hon TONY RYALL to the Minister of Police: Is the 111 system inadequate and a risk to public safety; if so, what evidence is there for his answer?

11. RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER to the Minister for Information Technology: What is the Government doing to ensure New Zealanders are getting the best results from their use of information and communications technology?

12. Hon Dr NICK SMITH to the Minister of Labour: What action has he taken, and when, in response to the 2 December 2004 report on Employment Conditions in the Fishing Industry that found that "conditions amount to little more than 'sweatshop' ones", that crew were subject to physical abuse, including being hit with an open hand or fish, pieces of wood and even hit on the hands with a hammer, and that "if anyone stands against this abuse, it has been known for them to be taken to a private cabin and beaten"?

ENDS

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