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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : No. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State took part in this programme, the contents of which have been noted.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will obtain for his departmental library a transcript of the interview given by the Minister for the Environment and Countryside, the hon. Member for Rossendale and Darwen (Mr. Trippier), to the BBC radio "Today" programme on 30 June, on the London amendment conference of the Montreal protocol.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : A copy is already in my Department's library.
Column 718
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he received the report commissioned by his Department jointly from the centre for configurational studies at the Open university and the earth resource research centre on the potential role of town and country planning in reducing carbon dioxide.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : A draft report commissioned from the Open university was received by my Department in March this year.
Chlorofluorocarbons
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he has taken to ensure research contracts placed by his Department contain a stipulation the contractors institute a policy of chlorofluorocarbons recovery from equipment using
chlorofluorocarbons, in research carried out for his Department.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : It is Government policy to encourage all users of equipment using CFCs to institute a policy of CFC recovery and to reduce dependence on such equipment.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the essential medical uses of chlorofluorocarbons that will be exempted from phasing out by 2000 or 2005 in the United Kingdom, following the recent amendment to the 1987 Montreal protocol.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : There are no essential medical uses of chlorofluorocarbons exempted from the 2000 phase-out under the recently revised Montreal protocol.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what arrangements exist for the recovery of chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration and refrigeration units used by his Department and research laboratories sponsored by his Department.
Mr. Chris Patten : My Department does not have to dispose of a significant amount of refrigeration equipment. We have, however, identified facilities which provide for the safe disposal of such items and the recycling of any CFC gases.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment why the United Kingdom decided not to sign the proposals sponsored by Finland at the amendment conference on the Montreal protocol in London in June to bring forward the date for the phase-out of chlorofluoro-carbon use to 1997.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside was asked to sign the proposal. However, we are firmly committed to the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons, with exemption for essential medical uses, by 1997. We will be pressing the European Commission to bring forward proposals to this end.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, following the agreement made at the recent London amendment conference of the Montreal protocol on the protection of the ozone layer, he has any
Column 719
plans to make arrangements with (a) foreign embassies and consulates and (b) United States military forces based in the United Kingdom for the safe recovery of all chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration and air conditioning in their premises.Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Foreign embassies and consulates are responsible for their own maintenance and facilities in the United Kingdom. Maintenance of United States military installations is managed on their behalf by PSA and appropriate procedures are already used in handling and disposal of equipment containing
chlorofluorocarbons.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if the agreement made by Her Majesty's Government for the phase-out of chlorofluorocarbons use by 2000 applies to (a) Her Majesty's Crown Territories of Hong Kong, (b) the Falkland Islands, (c) Gibraltar and (d) the Channel Islands.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : Her Majesty's Government's ratification of the Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer, and the recently agreed adjustments, apply to Hong Kong, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and Jersey. Arrangements are in hand to apply them to Guernsey.
Competitive Tendering
Sir Peter Tapsell : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress is being made in relation to the enforcement of the competition provisions of the Local Government Act 1988.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : My right hon. Friend has today issued directions under section 14 of the Local Government Act 1988 requiring both East Lindsey district council and Knowsley metropolitan borough council to expose refuse collection work to competitive tendering again by July 1991. He has taken this action because he is not satisfied with the responses which these authorities made to the notices issued under section 13 of the Act. The notices issued to both authorities set out his belief that they had acted contrary to the requirement of section 7(7) of the Act, which is that, in awarding a contract, they must not
"act in a manner having the effect or intended or likely to have the effect of restricting, distorting or preventing competition", in that they had assigned refuse collection work to their own direct service organisations when they had received a lower-priced bid from a private contractor.
North Sea Conference
Mr. Norris : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the guidance note on implementation of the declaration of the third North sea conference in the Hague on 2 to 8 March.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory : The United Kingdom has taken an early lead in setting out the details of the measures it will be taking to implement the agreements reached at the Hague North sea conference in March. I am publishing the implementation note today. This gives guidance on the ministerial declaration of the Hague conference and lists the targets and timetables we have set for the action necessary to implement these commitments. It demon-strates our determination to protect the marine
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environment, both in the North sea and all the seas and coastal waters surrounding the United Kingdom. Copies of the note will be placed in the Library of the House.Right to Buy, Norwich
Mr. Patrick Thompson : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give figures showing the proportion of occasions on which Norwich city council's housing committee has quoted prices to tenants seeking the right to buy above the figure estimated by its own estates surveyor.
Mr. Chope : A landlord is required to state its opinion of the value of a property to be sold under the right to buy on the assumptions specified in section 127 of the Housing Act 1985. This opinion, and the basis on which it is formed, are the responsibility of the landlord, and the Department does not collect information of the kind requested. A tenant who disagrees with the landlord's opinion has the right to an independent determination of value by the district valuer. Twenty-two such determinations were made on the application of tenants of Norwich city council in the three months ending 30 June, the value determined being lower than the council's opinion in all 22 cases by an average of £2,966 or 6.32 per cent.
Nuclear Waste (Reprocessing)
Ms. Walley : To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what arrangements are in hand for the return to West Germany of waste arising from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel from Wachersdorf ;
(2) if he will give details of the nuclear waste reprocessing contract between Sellafield and the Federal Republic of West Germany in respect of the Wachersdorf plant ; and what discussions he has had with the German Government on safety standards at Sellafield.
Mr. Baldry : I have been asked to reply.
I understand from British Nuclear Fuels plc that the new reprocessing contracts with the Federal German electricity utilities will bring in some £750 million of business to the company. These contracts are for reprocessing spent fuel, not nuclear waste. In line with all BNFL's overseas reprocessing contracts signed since 1976, these contracts contain options for the return of wastes arising. The Government intend that such options should be exercised and that wastes should be returned.
Exchange of information agreements exist between the nuclear regulatory authorities in the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany. Nuclear safety standards in the Federal Republic are in line with those in the United Kingdom.
SOCIAL SECURITY
Blind People
Mr. Kirkwood : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what information he has as to the numbers of blind people who neither pay tax nor benefit from social security payments.
Mr. Scott : I regret that the information requested is not available.
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Finsbury Park Local Office
Mr. Corbyn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the real level of expenditure on social fund loans and grants in 1988-89 and 1989-90 relative to expenditure on single payments in 1987-88 in Finsbury Park Department of Social Security office, taking into account the repayment of loans by claimants to the Department of Social Security.
Mr. Scott : The table shows the comparative expenditure for the Finsbury Park Department of Social Security office as reckoned by the gross domestic product deflator.
|Expenditure (in £000s)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1987-88 Single Payments |769
1988-89 Social Fund
Gross |474
Net |375
1989-90 Social Fund
Gross |624
Net |389
Social Fund
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security whether he will make it his practice in future to seek parliamentary approval of any general directions issued by him to social fund officers.
Mr. Scott : No. It was clearly Parliament's intention, recognised in a recent case before the Court of Appeal, that the social fund would operate in accordance with the directions of the Secretary of State, which would not be subject to parliamentary approval.
Disability
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will review the adequacy of social security provision for people with severe disabilities needing full-time care.
Mr. Scott : On 10 January we laid before Parliament "The Way Ahead : Benefits for Disabled People" which details our major proposals arising from our review of the balance and structure of social security benefits for disabled people and their carers. The existing benefit structure already recognises that disabled people have extra needs. The OPCS survey findings showed that attendance allowance and mobility allowance are well targeted on the most common of the more costly disabilities. From October 1990 a carer's premium, initially at a rate of £10 a week, will be introduced into income support and housing benefit for those receiving invalid care allowance. We estimate that this will help 30,000 carers.
Single Payments
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the total number of single payments made in 1986-87 and 1987-88 broken down into pensioners, couples with children, lone parents, sick and disabled people and others.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The information requested is available only for the 12 months
Column 722
prior to each annual statistical inquiry. As marital status applies to all client groups, the data are split into two separate tables.
Number of single payments (thousands)
|February|May
|1986 |1987
---------------------------------------------------
Group
Pensioners |410 |933
Sick and disabled |175 |257
Others |2,498 |2,115
Total |3,083 |3,305
Marital status
Lone parent |1,038 |960
Couples with dependants |876 |693
Others |1,169 |1,652
Total |3,083 |3,305
Source: Annual statistical inquiry
Notes: Columns may not sum due to rounding.
The figures include payments made to cases during the 12 months prior to the inquiry, but exclude those cases which received a payment during the year but were not in receipt of benefit at the date of the inquiry ; there is therefore an undercount of the total payments made.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing the proportion of pensioners, couples with children, lone parents, sick and disabled people and others on income support who received single payments in 1986-87 and 1987-88.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The information requested is available only for the 12 months prior to each annual statistical inquiry. As marital status applies to all client groups, the data are split into two separate tables.
Proportion of single payments by client group and
marital status
Group |February|May
|1986 |1987
---------------------------------------------------
Pensioners |0.14 |0.31
Sick and Disabled |0.24 |0.30
Others |0.30 |0.29
All cases |0.24 |0.30
Marital status
Lone parent |0.44 |0.52
Couples with dependants |0.59 |0.47
Others |0.16 |0.24
All cases |0.24 |0.30
Source: Annual statistical inquiry.
Note:
The figures include payments to cases during the
12 months prior to the inquiry, but exclude those
cases which received a payment during the year but
were not in receipt of benefit at the date of the
inquiry; there is therefore an undercount of the
total payments made.
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish a table showing expenditure on the single payments scheme in each year between 1980-1981 and 1987-1988 in both current prices and 1990-91 prices.
Mr. Scott [holding answer 21 June 1990] : The information requested is given in the table.
Column 723
National expenditure on single payments
£ million
|Current prices|1990-91 prices
------------------------------------------------------------
1980-81 |48.403 |87.302
1981-82 |57.295 |94.123
1982-83 |98.074 |150.265
1983-84 |166.136 |243.197
1984-85 |240.663 |335.621
1985-86 |334.409 |442.633
1986-87 |329.945 |422.376
1987-88 |213.084 |258.898
Source: Statistical record of actual single payment
decisions made.
WALES
Protection of Birds
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those areas of special protection for birds as well as those Ramsar sites and areas with dual designation for the protection of birds.
Mr. David Hunt : The designation of special protection areas and Ramsar sites is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, although Welsh sites are designated in consultation with me. I therefore refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment and Countryside today.
Radioactive Caesium
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by county, and by year for the last five years, the number of reported cases of radioactive caesium in people.
Mr. Grist : The information is not available in the form requested. However, last month the Welsh Office published a report of a study of radioactivity in over 150 volunteers in north, south and mid-Wales. The study showed that there were no significant differences between the body burdens of radiocaesium of the volunteers from the different parts of Wales, and that if the body burdens continue to decline at the current rate, levels in the Welsh population will on average reach pre-Chernobyl levels some time this year. A copy of the report "Whole Body Monitoring Research Project" is in the Library. Welsh subjects are also participating in a national survey of radiocaesium levels in people, sponsored by the Department of the Environment.
Nurseries and Playgroups
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the numbers of (a) children, (b) qualified staff and (c) full-time equivalent qualified staff in registered(i) pre-school nurseries and (ii) playgroups for each academic year from 1970-71 to 1988-89 in (1) Wales as a whole and (2) each county of Wales.
Mr. David Hunt : The number of staff in registered pre-school nurseries and playgroups is not held centrally. The available information on the numbers of places for children in registered pre-school nurseries and registered playgroups is shown in the following table. Data before 1975 are not readily available.
Column 724
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
Wales
Year |Pre-school|Playgroups
|nurseries
--------------------------------------------
1975 |1,183 |14,383
1976 |936 |15,241
1977 |935 |16,290
1978 |833 |17,261
1979 |901 |16,729
1980 |817 |17,753
1981 |746 |17,511
1982 |743 |18,539
1983 |834 |18,733
1984 |1,006 |18,721
1985 |1,013 |19,406
1986 |1,049 |19,683
1987 |1,233 |20,601
1988 |1,313 |21,753
1989 |1,912 |22,745
NHS and Community Care Act
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he will make it his policy that information circulated to people in Wales regarding the implementation of the National Health Service and Community Care Act should include information and advice on problems that may arise in the course of its implementation.
Mr. Grist : The booklet that we propose to distribute to all households in Wales will, of course, contain accurate information and advice. It will not address hypothetical problems arising from the implementation of the Act. Following the initial adjustment to the new arrangements we have every reason to believe that the advantages stemming from the reforms will be recognised and welcomed widely.
Drug Prescribing
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many times regulation 16 of the Service Committee and Tribunal Regulations has been invoked in respect of (a) excessive prescribing and (b) under-prescribing by each family practitioner committee in each of the past five years for which figures are available.
Mr. Grist : Regulation 16 has been invoked once during the last five years in respect of a case of excessive prescribing in the West Glamorgan FPC area.
General Medical Practices, West Glamorgan
Mr. John Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what are the reasons for the delay in financial allocation for service development of general medical practices in West Glamorgan.
Mr. Grist : Final cash allocations cannot be made until an analysis has been completed for information supplied
Column 727
by all family practitioner committees in Wales. This information could not be provided until several weeks after the end of the financial year 1989-90. I hope to announce these allocations within a few weeks.Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many infants died from sudden infant death syndrome in Wales in 1989 ; what was the comparable figure in the previous three years ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Grist : Available data on deaths of babies under a year old, resident in Wales, caused by sudden infant death syndrome (ICD code 798.0) for the years 1986-1989 are given in the following table. The introduction in 1986, in England and Wales, of a separate certificate for neonatal deaths--in the period 28 days after birth--means that it is not appropriate to assign a single underlying cause to such deaths. Consequently, for all infant deaths--in the first year after birth--only a count of the certificates where the syndrome is mentioned can be made, whether the syndrome was the underlying cause of death or not.
Deaths in infants in Wales
|(a) in Postneonatal |(b) within 1 year of
|period<1> due to ICD| birth where ICD
|798.0 | 798.0 mentioned on
|death certificate<2>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1989 |63 |66
1988 |68 |78
1987 |88 |96
1986 |66 |72
Source: OPCS.
<1> Post neonatal period as from 28 days but within 1 year of birth.
<2> Includes deaths listed in column (a).
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has to combat sudden infant death syndrome in Wales.
Mr. Grist : The Government announced a major new initiative to reduce infant mortality, including sudden infant deaths, in their response to the Social Services Select Committee report on perinatal, neonatal and infant mortality which was published in July 1989 (Cmnd 741). The review of research relating to sudden infant death syndrome commissioned as part of this initiative will be of benefit to Wales. Also, in line with the initiative's goal to increase capacity to undertake expert post mortem examination of infants who die, action has been put in hand to secure, by central funding, the appointment of a full-time consultant paediatric pathologist at the University hospital of Wales. Pending that appointment, part-time consultant sessions are being funded centrally.
Local Management of Schools
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement concerning the effects of local management of schools upon schools of fewer than 100 pupils in Wales.
Sir Wyn Roberts : I refer the hon. and learned Gentleman to my reply of 15 June 1990, column 369.
Column 728
School Budgets
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average budget for schools in Wales of (a) fewer than 100 pupils, (b) between 101 and 200 pupils and (c) over 201 pupils ; what were the comparable figures in real terms in (i) 1975, (ii) 1980 and (iii) 1985 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. David Hunt : This information is not available.
Polychlorinated Biphenyls (River Usk)
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what arrangements have been made to deal with contamination of the River Usk by polychlorinated biphenyls carried in vessels in the river.
Mr. Grist : We are not aware of any such incidents. However, were such an event to occur it would be a matter for the National Rivers Authority, the local authority and if it were within a port, the harbour authority.
Mental Illness
Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much money was allocated in the 1989-90 financial year by his Department (1) specifically to support the implementation of the all-Wales strategy on mental illness and (2) for other work in connection with mental illnesss (a) to each local authority in Wales, (b) to voluntary organisations in each local authority area and (c) to voluntary organisations in Wales as a whole.
Mr. Grist [holding answer 26 June 1990] : No funding was allocated by the Department in 1989-90 under the mental illness strategy ; 1990-91 is the first year of central Government funding under the strategy.
The following allocations were made by the Department to local authorities in 1989-90 under the urban programme for projects concerned primarily with mental illness :
|£
--------------------------------
Dyfed |14,092
Gwent |29,852
Newport |1,097
Cynon Valley |14,910
Merthyr Tydfil |11,797
Ogwr |22,189
Vale of Glamorgan |5,623
West Glamorgan |31,346
With the exception of the allocation made to West Glamorgan, all this funding was provided for voluntary sector schemes.
In addition, Wales MIND received a grant of £57,166 under section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968.
The Department also made available earmarked funds totalling £1,072,547 to district health authorities which use them to make payments to local authorities and voluntary organisations under the powers in section 28A of the National Health Service Act 1977.
Column 729
NATIONAL FINANCE
World Student Games
Mr. Fearn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to cast a commemorative coin to help fund the world student games in Sheffield.
Mr. Menzies Campbell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has any plans to cast a commemorative coin to help fund the world student games in Sheffield.
Mr. Ryder : There are no plans to issue a commemorative coin to mark the world student games.
Vehicle Excise Duty
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reviews he is carrying out into the likely effects of linking motor vehicle excise duty to engine capacity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Ryder : We have no plans at present to link vehicle excise duty to engine capacity.
VAT
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of tax forgone due to the zero rating of value added tax on (a) food, (b) children's clothing, (c) new housing and (d) books and newspapers.
Mr. Ryder : The extra revenue yield, in a full year, from applying the standard rate of VAT to the items listed is estimated approximately at :
|£ million
--------------------------------------------
a. Food |5,100
b. Children's clothing |600
c. New Housing |1,600
d. Books and newspapers |700
|------
Total |8,000
Such estimates depend, among other things, on the reaction of consumers to increased prices and so are subject to a considerable margin of error.
Mr. Steen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to harmonise the arrangements for payment of value added tax on duty- free fuel by British fishing vessels to bring them into line with existing arrangements for Belgian, Dutch and French fishing.
Mr. Ryder [holding answer 2 July 1990] : The Government are aware of the difficulties for British fishing vessels and other maritime interests, caused by the European Court of Justice's ruling on some of the United Kingdom's VAT zero rates. They are considering whether and how any changes to the present arrangements should be made.
Mr. Thornton : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the likely increase in the retail prices index if value added tax at standard rate was applied to (a) food, (b) children's clothing, (c) new housing and (d) books and newspapers.
Mr. Ryder : Following is the information :
Column 730
|Percentage
|increase in
|the Retail
|Prices
|Index
|Per cent.
------------------------------------------------
a. Food |2.0
b. Children's clothing |0.2
c. New housing |<1>n.a.
d. Books and newspapers |0.2
<1>The effects on the RPI of applying VAT to
new housing cannot be quantified precisely. The
immediate impact would be very small. Over many
years however it would become significant.
Beaulieu Group
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, further to his reply of 20 March, Official Report, column 525, on the directors of the Beaulieu group of companies charged with cheating the public Revenue and offences under section 39(3) of the Value Added Tax Act 1983 heard before the Harrogate justices, he will make a further statement on the progress of the case.
Mr. Ryder : Jan De Clerck, Dominiek De Clerck, Luc De Clerck and Francis De Clerck are next due to appear upon a remand before the Harrogate justices on 16 August 1990.
The prosecution will seek to pursue committal proceedings on a date to be fixed by the court following representations by the parties at the remand hearing.
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