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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 6 June 1990
NORTHERN IRELAND
North Eastern Education and Library Board
Mr. Beggs : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what evidence was reported by the Royal Ulster Constabulary investigating team of fraud, misappropriation or financial losses attributable to the management of mechanical and electrical services by the former principal engineer of the North Eastern education and library board ;
(2) what was the total cost of Royal Ulster Constabulary investigation into allegations made against the former principal engineer of the North Eastern education and library board ; if he will publish the conclusions arrived at by the Royal Ulster Constabulary investigation team ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Cope : An RUC investigation into allegations of irregularities in North Eastern education and library board contracting commenced in June 1986. As a result of the investigation, in August 1987 the RUC forwarded a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions who directed "No prosecution". Details of the costs of the police investigation are not available.
Seat Belts
Mr. Hague : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the wearing of seat belts by drivers and front- seat passengers in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : Lives should be saved if all drivers and front -seat passengers wear their seat belts. The Northern Ireland seat belt survey, based on data collected in August 1989, indicates a gradual decline in seat belt usage since May 1983 when 92 per cent. of car drivers wore belts compared with the most recent results when 84 per cent. of observed front-seat passengers were wearing seat belts. Seat belts usage overall in Northern Ireland is lower than the rest of the United Kingdom ; 81 per cent. of all observed drivers of all vehicle types in Northern Ireland wore seat belts, compared with a 93 per cent. usage rate of all driver observed in Great Britain. In addition to the evidence produced by the survey, RUC statistics for 1988 showed that in those cases of front-seat fatalities where it was possible to determine whether seat belts had been worn almost half of those killed were not wearing seat belts.
Failure by front-seat occupants to wear seat belts is against the law though there are certain exemptions. The RUC, in the light of the recent report, will be increasing its vigilance to detect law breakers and to advise and protect them from the folly of their actions.
We shall continue to draw attention to the dangers of failing to wear seat belts within our programme of road casualty reduction.
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Departmental Savings
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what were the value-for-money savings in his Department's operations identified by internal audit and internal efficiency arrangements, and by external audit and by management consultants retained by his Department between 1983 -84 and 1988-89 ; and what is the amount of those savings fulfilled to date.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The improvements resulting from inquiries and studies of the kind the hon. Member mentions are taken into account in the setting of annual budgets and internal targets. The results are not collected centrally.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms exist in his office for identifying and tracking value-for-money savings in its operations.
Mr. Cope [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The annual public expenditure round plays a key role in promoting value for money through the top down pressure exerted by taut allocations on programme and administrative expenditure. Departments are required to achieve efficiency savings of at least 1.5 per cent., per annum in their running costs, and to produce management plans detailing how these savings are to be achieved. Potential savings can be identified from a variety of sources such as efficiency studies, audit reports, purchasing studies, market testing of in -house operations and policy reviews, as well as by routine management action. All such activities inform the detailed planning and scrutiny of programme and running cost expenditure.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Grant-maintained Schools
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many schools in England and Wales have held ballots on grant- maintained status.
Mrs. Rumbold : Parental ballots have been held at 90 schools in England and four schools in Wales.
Chalvedon School
Mr. Amess : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science when he expects to make a decision on the application of Chalvedon school for grant-maintained status.
Mrs. Rumbold : The governing body of Chalvedon school has not yet published proposals for grant-maintained status. When it does so my right hon. Friend will consider them carefully, together with any objections that are received.
Independent Schools (National Curriculum)
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what assessment he has made of the likely impact on educational diversity and choice of independent schools adopting the national curriculum.
Mr. Alan Howarth : My right hon. Friend is committed to the breadth and diversity of educational choice
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provided by the independent sector. He is pleased that many independent schools are choosing to adopt the national curriculum.Special Schools
Mr. Cartwright : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science whether membership of the joint working party for residential special schools will be affected by any new arrangements for determining the pay and conditions of teachers ; what bodies form the membership of the joint working party for residential special schools ; and how membership of the joint working party for residential special schools was determined.
Mrs. Rumbold : I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave to him on 23 March 1990, Official Report , column 760 .
Education Ministers (Meeting)
Mr. Pawsey : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what was the outcome of the meeting of Education Ministers in Brussels on 31 May.
Mr. MacGregor : My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and I attended the meeting on 31 May of the Council and the Ministers of Education meeting within the Council. The Ministers adopted conclusions on meetings of senior officials in the education sector, on the treatment of equality of educational opportunity in the training of teachers, and on the preparation of a new convention for the European schools. The Ministers also adopted a resolution on the integration of children and young people with disabilities into ordinary systems of education. There were also discussions on education for enterprise and distance education and training. The conclusions relating to the European schools invite the commission to draft a new convention which would codify the existing statute and its amending instruments. The conclusions envisage that the draft convention should be finalised with a view to its adoption by the intergovernmental conference to be held before the end of 1991. Unanimity would be required for the adoption of a new convention, which would be subject to ratification by all of the member states. All the member states noted the possibility that the draft convention could incoporate a change in the voting arrangements on the board of governors of the European schools from unanimity to a qualified majority of two thirds, subject to the safeguarding of the specific interests of member states on whose territory European schools are situated. All the member states except the United Kingdom noted the possibility that the Community could become a contracting party to the agreement establishing the European schools alongside the member states. The Government favour the adoption of majority voting in the board of governors, but is not convinced that contracting party status for the Community is necessary or would bring any practical benefit to the management of the European schools.
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THE ARTS
National Museums
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many qualified accountants are employed by each of the national museums ; and when each institution was last audited.
Mr. Luce : I am advised that the number of qualified accountants currently employed by each of the national museums is as follows :
|Number
-----------------------------------------------------------
British museum |nil
Imperial war museum |nil
National maritime museum |1
National museums and galleries on Merseyside |2
Natural history museum |1
Science museum |3
Victoria and Albert museum |1
All national museums are audited annually by the National Audit Office, the last time being 1989.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many staff were seconded from national museums to regional institutions and vice versa during 1989.
Mr. Luce : I understand that during 1989 four national museums staff were seconded out to regional institutions ; and that two members of staff from regional institutions were seconded to work in national museums. I welcome exchanges of staff of this kind.
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Minister for the Arts how many outreach programmes by national museums were initiated (a) to schools and (b) to regional museums during 1989.
Mr. Luce : Detailed information on outreach pro-grammes by national museums initiated during 1989 are not held centrally, but the following cases are examples of the wide range of programmes undertaken to schools and regional museums last year.
The British museum provided teachers' packs, training aids and professional advice to about 6,000 teachers individually and in connection with about 2,000 schools groups visiting the museum. The museum's two travelling exhibitions "Celtic Britain" and "Thomas Rowlandson Prints" toured to four regional venues.
The natural history museum's travelling discovery centre was initiated last year in conjunction with sponsorship from the Clore Foundation.
The science museum undertook an extensive programme of 10 travelling exhibitions to 29 venues during 1988-89.
The Victoria and Albert museum loaned a total of 1,875 objects to 184 venues, of which three were schools and colleges, during 1989. In addition to these examples the Museums and Galleries Commission's travelling exhibitions unit is actively encouraging national museums to regularly tour their temporary exhibitions to regional venues.
Arts Council
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Minister for the Arts when he last met the chairman of the Arts Council ; and what was discussed.
Mr. Luce : I meet Mr. Palumbo from time to time, to discuss matters of mutual interest.
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MEDIA Programme
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Minister for the Arts what assessment he has made of the assistance that the European Community's MEDIA programme has given to enable British film producers to work in Europe.
Mr. Luce : The MEDIA programme is an initiative of the European Commission. They have not yet produced a full evaluation of the results achieved in film and television distribution, production, training and so on, so it is not easy to assess at this stage the precise assistance given to British film producers.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Minister for the Arts if the Government will support the European Commission's proposal to increase the budget of its MEDIA 92 programme to 250 million ecu over the next five years.
Mr. Luce : The European Commission made proposals last month for an action programme to promote the development of the European audiovisual industry at a cost of 250 million ecu over the years 1991-95. This is based on its existing MEDIA programme, the outcome of which has yet to be evaluated. I am considering with colleagues what our approach should be to its new proposals.
Miss Emma Nicholson : To ask the Minister for the Arts what support he has given to the work of (a) Media Guarantee, (b) Media Venture, (c) Media Investment Club, (d) CARTOON, (e) European Audivisual Entrepreneurs, (f) Euro Aim, (g) Broadcasting Across the Barriers of the European Language, (h) the European Film Distribution Office and (i) the European Script Fund under the MEDIA 92 project.
Mr. Luce : The MEDIA programme is a specific initiative of the European Commission which has not been presented to member states for approval. It is funded direct by the Commission from the general budget, to which the United Kingdom is a contributor. Her Majesty's Government do not provide direct support to these individual MEDIA projects.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give for each year from 1978 the energy consumption, broken down by fuel, of the buildings occupied by the offices for which he is responsible, expressing the figures in (a) cash terms, (b) 1978-79 money terms and (c) units of consumption for electricity in kilowatt hours, gas in therms, liquid fuel in litres and solid fuel in tonnes.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The figures requested by the hon. Member are available only in (a) cash terms and (b) 1978-79 money terms, for the following years :
|Electricity|Gas |Liquid fuel
|£ |£ |£
------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 |5,069 |1,349 |659
|(2,470) |(657) |(321)
1988-89 |6,717 |970 |845
|(3,056) |(441) |(384)
1989-90<1> |5,877 |872 |778
|(2,511) |(373) |(332)
Note: () denotes 1978-79 money terms.
<1>1989-90 expenditure relates to eleven months consumption
only.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give the number of dedicated energy managers in the offices for which he is responsible and the number of person-years devoted to energy management in the latest year.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The Office of Arts and Libraries has no dedicated energy manager. It is advised by the Cabinet Office in such matters.
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Minister for the Arts if he will give the number of energy audits carried out in the offices for which he is responsible in the last five years and for each audit statement of its main conclusions.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 5 June 1990] : No energy audits have been carried out in the Office of Arts and Libraries, but surveys to improve energy efficiency have been undertaken and measures to reduce energy consumption have been, and are being, taken.
Departmental Savings
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Minister for the Arts what were the value for money savings in his Department's operations identified by internal audit and internal efficiency arrangements by external audit and by management consultants retained by his Department between 1983-84 and 1988- 89 ; and what is the amount of those savings fulfilled to date.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 5 June 1990] : Improvements resulting from inquiries and studies of the kind referred to are taken into account in the setting of the office's annual budgets and internal targets. It is not possible, however, to quantify savings fulfilled in the way suggested because of the effect of wider organisational changes within the office.
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Minister for the Arts what mechanisms exist in the Office of Arts and Libraries for identifying and tracking value for money savings in its operations.
Mr. Luce [holding answer 5 June 1990] : The Office of Arts and Libraries has no mechanisms for identifying and tracking value-for- money savings, but is advised by the internal audit and staff inspection teams of the Cabinet Office.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Unemployment Benefits
Ms. Short : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide estimates for each of the years 1987-88, 1988-89 and 1989-90 of the amount of income tax collected from the taxation of unemployment benefits.
Mr. Lilley : The latest estimates of the yield from taxing unemployment benefit and supplementary benefit or income support paid in lieu of unemployment benefit are as follows :
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|£ million
------------------------------
1987-88 |320
1988-89 |220
1989-90 |180
These estimates are based on national amounts of benefits paid each year to the unemployed and information on income of the unemployed derived from the results of the 1987 family expenditure survey. The figures are subject to revision.
Inflation
Mr. John Evans : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he now expects inflation to fall below 5 per cent.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The "Financial Statement and Budget Report" forecast that all-items RPI inflation would be 5 per cent. in the second quarter of 1991 and would fall further thereafter.
Investment
Mr. Harry Greenway : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on current levels of investment.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Total investment in 1989 was at record levels. Since 1979 total investment has increased by over 40 per cent. or an average of 3 per cent. a year. This compares to the last Labour Government's record where investment grew by an average of only per cent. a year.
Poor People
Mr. Andrew F. Bennett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal policies the Government have to protect the poorest in society.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The main objective of the Government's fiscal policies is to improve the performance of the economy, which benefits everybody, including the poorest. Since 1979, the basic rate of income tax has been cut from 33 to 25 per cent., benefiting all taxpayers ; the main personal allowances have been increased by about 25 per cent. in real terms, taking about 2 million individuals out of tax, compared to the 1978- 79 regime indexed for inflation ; and the structure of national insurance contributions has been reformed, benefiting in particular the low paid.
Overseas Financial Assets
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present stock of the overseas financial assets ; and what was the level of such assets in 1979.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The estimated level of identified United Kingdom external assets, net of identified liabilities, at the end of 1989 was about £110 billion ("Financial Statement and Budget Report 1990", paragraph 3.39), compared with about £12 billion at the end of 1979. Later information will be published in the balance of payments Pink Book in August.
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PAYE
Mr. Gerald Howarth : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what instructions the Inland Revenue has issued relating to PAYE to be applied on fees paid to one-man service companies ; and under what statutory authority such instructions were formulated.
Mr. Lilley : Schedule E (PAYE) applies to the emoluments of an individual arising from either an employment or an office. Whether in any particular case there is a contract of employment with an individual, or his services are supplied under a contract with a one-man service company, are questions to be decided by reference to all the facts and circumstances.
Tax Debts
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the tax debts at the latest date for which figures are available for (a) overall income tax, (b) PAYE and (c) corporation tax.
Mr. Lilley : The amounts of tax outstanding at the annual balance date to the end of October 1988 (the latest published figures), together with provisional figures for the year to October 1989, are as follows :
£ billion
Assessed taxes |October 1988 |October 1989
|(provisional figures)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Income tax |2.3 |2.3
Corporation tax |1.5 |1.6
CGT |0.1 |0.2
PAYE
Closed years |0.8 |0.8
Current year |0.6 |0.7
|-- |--
Total |5.3 |5.6
The outstanding balances at October are equivalent to 7.75 per cent. and 7.25 per cent. respectively of the total tax due for 1988-89 and 1989-90. They include over £1 billion which had only recently become due, and the bulk (about four-fifths) attracts interest. The amounts actually remitted or written off--mostly due to insolvency--in these years were less than 1 per cent. of the tax due.
Financial Statistics
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish for each year since 1978-79, including estimates for 1990-91, showing revenue at current and at constant, April 1990, prices from (a) local authority domestic rates/community charge, (b) local authority commercial rates/uniform business rate, (c) employers' national insurance contributions, (d) employees' national insurance contributions, (e) self- employed national insurance contributions and (f) personal income tax.
Mr. Major : In so far as it is available, the information requested is given in the tables. In the second table the figures are expressed in constant 1989-90 prices.
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|c|1989-90 prices<4>|c|
£ billion
|Domestic |Business |Employers |Employees |Income tax
|rates<1> |rates |NICs<2> |NIC<3>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-89 |5.51 |8.01 |19.24 |9.55 |43.73
1979-80 |5.68 |7.98 |20.51 |9.71 |41.15
1980-81 |6.27 |8.52 |20.36 |10.04 |41.01
1981-82 |7.09 |9.37 |19.68 |11.59 |44.22
1982-83 |7.50 |9.90 |17.29 |13.24 |43.64
1983-84 |6.88 |9.96 |17.11 |14.47 |42.69
1984-85 |6.96 |9.98 |15.95 |14.76 |42.46
1985-86 |7.02 |10.22 |15.56 |15.04 |43.86
1986-87 |7.86 |11.01 |16.61 |15.36 |46.21
1987-88 |8.30 |11.19 |17.45 |16.10 |47.10
1988-89 |8.89 |11.24 |18.41 |16.67 |46.21
1989-90<5> |9.17 |11.29 |18.33 |14.71 |48.69
1990-91<6> |10.59 |11.40 |19.36 |14.34 |52.04
<1>Includes community charge.
<2>Includes national insurance surcharge in the period to 1984-85.
<3>Includes national insurance contributions by self-employed for which
separate data are only available from 1986-87 to 1988-89.
<4>Treasury estimate of GDP deflator in 1989-90 is used to convert current
prices to constant 1989-90 prices.
<5>Estimate.
<6>Budget forecast.
|c|1989-90 prices<4>|c|
£ billion
|Domestic |Business |Employers |Employees |Income tax
|rates<1> |rates |NICs<2> |NIC<3>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978-89 |5.51 |8.01 |19.24 |9.55 |43.73
1979-80 |5.68 |7.98 |20.51 |9.71 |41.15
1980-81 |6.27 |8.52 |20.36 |10.04 |41.01
1981-82 |7.09 |9.37 |19.68 |11.59 |44.22
1982-83 |7.50 |9.90 |17.29 |13.24 |43.64
1983-84 |6.88 |9.96 |17.11 |14.47 |42.69
1984-85 |6.96 |9.98 |15.95 |14.76 |42.46
1985-86 |7.02 |10.22 |15.56 |15.04 |43.86
1986-87 |7.86 |11.01 |16.61 |15.36 |46.21
1987-88 |8.30 |11.19 |17.45 |16.10 |47.10
1988-89 |8.89 |11.24 |18.41 |16.67 |46.21
1989-90<5> |9.17 |11.29 |18.33 |14.71 |48.69
1990-91<6> |10.59 |11.40 |19.36 |14.34 |52.04
<1>Includes community charge.
<2>Includes national insurance surcharge in the period to 1984-85.
<3>Includes national insurance contributions by self-employed for which
separate data are only available from 1986-87 to 1988-89.
<4>Treasury estimate of GDP deflator in 1989-90 is used to convert current
prices to constant 1989-90 prices.
<5>Estimate.
<6>Budget forecast.
Sir Ian Gilmour : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures, at constant 1990 prices, for each year since 1979, showing (a) revenue from North sea oil and gas, (b) revenue from privatisation, (c)
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public sector borrowing requirement, (d) balance of payments current account, (e) the rate of inflation at April of each year and (f) interest rates at April of each year.Mr. Major : In so far as it is available, the information requested is given in the table. The appropriate figures are expressed in 1989 (or 1989-90) prices.
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£ billion at 1989 prices
|North sea |Privatisation |PSBR<1> |Current |RPI inflation |Interest rates
|revenues<1> |proceeds<1> |account |in April |at end of
|April<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979 |4.6 |0.8 |19.9 |-1.1 |10.1 |12
1980 |6.3 |0.7 |21.2 |4.8 |21.8 |17
1981 |10.0 |0.8 |13.3 |10.3 |12.0 |12
1982 |11.3 |0.7 |12.8 |6.6 |9.4 |13
1983 |12.1 |1.6 |13.3 |5.2 |4.0 |10
1984 |15.7 |2.8 |13.2 |2.6 |5.2 |8.5-8.75
1985 |14.1 |3.4 |7.0 |3.9 |6.9 |12.5-12.75
1986 |5.7 |5.3 |4.3 |-0.1 |3.0 |10.5
1987 |5.3 |5.9 |-3.9 |-5.0 |4.2 |9.5
1988 |3.4 |7.6 |-15.4 |-16.0 |3.9 |8
1989 |2.3 |4.2 |-7.9 |-20.9 |8.0 |13
1990 |- |- |- |- |9.4 |15
<1> Data in first three columns are for financial years. A Treasury estimate of the GDP deflator in 1989-90 has been
used to convert current price figures to constant 1989-90 prices as the outturn is not yet available.
<2> Base rates of selected retail banks.
Cannabis
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are taken to minimise environmental pollution when seized cannabis is disposed of.
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Mr. Ryder : Most cannabis seized by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise is destroyed by incineration within Queen's warehouses. The incinerators used are designed to comply with the emission requirements of Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, ensuring total burnout of solid and gaseous material.
Customs staff are instructed to consult with local authorities for advice where destruction of drugs might lead to environmental hazard.
Inland Revenue
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether Inland Revenue databanks cover by name people living long term in lodging houses ;
(2) how many individuals are included by name on Inland Revenue databanks ;
(3) whether Inland Revenue databanks include the home as well as place of work addresses of all people recorded in them.
Mr. Lilley : The Inland Revenue records an address for all individuals whom it may need to contact in connection with their own tax liabilities or their accountability for PAYE as an employer. The type of accommodation is of no relevance to the Department. A taxpayer's computer record will include his personal address. It will not show his place of work address, unless he is a self-employed person working from his home. It is not possible to say at any given time exactly how many individuals are on record, but we would expect currently to have approximately 33 million.
National Savings
Mr. Hanley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will take further measures to change National Savings products.
Mr. Ryder : My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his Budget increases of 1 per cent. in the interest rate on the national savings investment account and income bonds. Changes to the terms of some other key national savings products which encourage long-term savings are being made over the next three to four weeks, as follows :
a new fixed interest savings certificate, offering a tax free guaranteed return of 9.5 per cent. a year if held for five years ; a similar improvement in the associated regular monthly savings scheme, the yearly plan ;
a new index-linked savings certificate revalued monthly by reference to the RPI, and offering tax free guaranteed extra interest of 4.5 per cent. a year, if held for five years ;
a new series capital bond offering a guaranteed return of 13 per cent. a year (taxable, but credited without prior deduction of income tax), if held for five years.
These measures show the determination of my right hon. Friend to encourage more people to save, and people to save more. They maintain the momentum of the savers' Budget, and demonstrate that national savings will play a significant part in continuing to stimulate the savings habit.
Teachers' Salaries
Mr. Latham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the cost to public funds in the current financial year and with retrospective effort to 6 April of transferring the total cost of teachers' salaries from local government to the Exchequer but leaving the current level of grant to local authorities unchanged ; and what addition that would require to (a) income tax and (b) value added tax if the extra cost were divided equally between them.
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Mr. Norman Lamont [holding answer 23 May 1990] : If local authorities spent in line with the education component of total standard spending in England and Wales, and total current expenditure in Scotland, the total cost of teachers' salaries would be around £9 billion. If there were no change to revenue support grant and the cost of teachers' salaries were divided equally between local authorities and the Exchequer, this would imply additional central Government expenditure of around £4 billion. This is equivalent to an increase of around 3p in the basic rate of income tax or an increase of around two percentage points in the VAT rate.
Energy Consumption
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the number of energy audits carried out in his Department in the last five years and for each audit a statement of its main conclusions.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 5 June 1990] : Surveys of the lighting efficiency of Treasury buildings were carried out in 1987. The main recommendation was that there was scope for greater lighting efficiency, mainly in the Parliament street building. This is being taken into account in the forthcoming rewiring.
Income Tax
Mr. Blunkett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his estimates of the numbers of people paying income tax in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales.
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