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Mr. Maude : The latest available information is given in the following table, which is supplemented by notes. To make a valid comparison between countries the level of child benefits given through the social security system would also have to be taken into account.
All amounts have been converted to sterling using the latest available purchasing power parities.
Belgium
Deductable allowances are given :
1 child BF 36,000 (£505)
2 children BF 93,000 (£1,304)
3 children BF 209,000 (£2,931)
4 children BF 338,000 (£4,740)
Plus BF 129,000 (£1,809) for each additional child.
Plus BF 10,000 (£140) for each child under three years (if no deduction is claimed for childcare expenses).
Denmark
No child tax allowances are given.
France
Tax relief is given by means of a family quotient system. The benefit of this relief is normally limited to FF 12,180 (£1,018) for each child.
Germany
A child deduction of DM 3,024 (£783) is granted, reduced to DM 1, 512 (£392) per child if the child is not maintained by the taxpayer, but by the former spouse of the taxpayer to whom he/she makes maintenance payments. If spouses are assessed separately, both may deduct DM 1,512 (£392) per child.
Greece
Child allowances are given :
First two children--Dr 130,000 (£666) each
Third child--Dr 208,000 (£1,066)
Fourth child--Dr 325,000 (£1,665)
Fifth and each subsequent child--Dr 390,000 (£1,998)
Ireland
There are no universal tax allowances for parents.
Italy
Each spouse may claim an income tax reduction of L50,928 (£21) per child.
Luxembourg
At lower income levels, eg not exceeding LF 883,200 (£13,228) if there is one child, or LF 918,600 (£13,758) for two children, relief is given through a family quotient system. In all other cases a tax credit is given depending on taxable income and the number of children. If taxable income does not exceed LF 2,150,400 (£32,206) the tax credit is
for one child, 1 per cent. of taxable income plus LF 29,338 (£439)
for two children, 2 per cent. of taxable income plus LF 54,694 (£819).
Increased tax credits are available for parents with taxable income exceeding LF 2,150,400 (£32,206).
Netherlands
There are no universal tax allowances for parents.
Portugal
There is a tax credit of Esc 12,000 (£75) for each child. Spain
There is a tax credit of Pta 19,000 (£105) for each child. United Kingdom
There are no universal tax allowances for parents.
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Notes1. According to the family quotient system which applies in France and in some cases in Luxembourg, the family's taxable income is divided by a certain coefficient (for example, in France, married person with one child- -2.5, married person with two children--3). The income tax table is then applied and the resulting income tax is multiplied by the same coefficient.
2. Most European Community member states give special tax allowances and reliefs to single parents and parents of disabled children. In the United Kingdom, for example, a single parent can claim an additional personal allowance of £1,720, the same amount as the married couple's allowance.
Gift Aid Certificates
Mr. Channon : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the shortage of forms for gift aid certificates ; and if he will ensure that the Inland Revenue provides adequate supplies of the forms.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The gift aid scheme was introduced by the 1990 Finance Act. There has been a small number of telephone calls but no written representations to the charity division administering the scheme, in relation to the supply of forms. Initial demand for the forms exceeded expectations, but to date over 300,000 forms have been issued. Of these, 4,006 have been returned and processed, with a small number currently awaiting processing.
Requests for these forms are still higher than expected and additional stocks have been ordered. I can confirm that stocks and usage are being closely monitored.
Taxation
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the money raised by 5 per cent. value added tax, if it were expended as a fixed personal rebate on community charge to each charge payer pro rata rebated to rebated charge payers ; by how much this would reduce the community charge paid ; and what impact such a transfer would have on (a) the balance of payments and (b) the retail price index.
Mr. Mellor [holding answer 21 January 1991] : The money raised would be £8.5 billion. Assuming no change in local government expenditure, community charges would be reduced by around £225 where the full charge is made and by around £45 for those paying only 20 per cent. of the charge.
It is not the practice to provide estimates of the wider economic effects of hypothetical tax changes.
TRANSPORT Pedestrian Crossings (Aural Warnings) Mr. John Carlisle : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he will review the provision of aural warnings to blind people at pedestrian crossings.
Mr. Chope : Audible signals can be fitted at pelican crossings and at traffic signals with a pedestrian phase except where there are two or more crossings close together--for example at dual carriageways. In these cases it would be dangerous to include audible signal because the sound from one could be interpreted as a cue to cross at the other crossing where the traffic had not been signalled to stop. Complaints from people in residential areas about the intrusive nature of the signals have led some local authorities to remove audible signals.
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The Department has developed a new audible signal for use on staggered dual carriageway crossings. It emits a localised sound which can also adjust to the ambient traffic noise level. That signal is currently being tested at 25 trunk road sites around the country. We hope it will be available to local authorities around the country later this year.In the meantime, where it is not possible to install an audible signal, the Department advises that a tactile signal should be installed as an aid to visually impaired people. The rotating cone device is activated during the green man phase to indicate that the traffic has stopped.
Locomotives
Mr. Steinberg : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the type, number and age of locomotives currently in use by British Rail and their designated length of service ; and what is the type, number and age of passenger rolling stock and their designated length of service.
Mr. Freeman : British Rail owned the following traction and rolling stock at 31 March 1990 :
Type |Number ------------------------------------- Diesel locomotives |1,835 Electric locomotives |260 High Speed Train power units |197 Coaching vehicles |13,833
The Department does not hold comprehensive information on the age of railway rolling stock.
British Rail uses the following estimates of useful life for accounting purposes, but these book lives are conservative estimate. Actual lives can be much longer, depending on a range of factors such as condition and maintenance costs.
Type |Book life -------------------------------------------- Locomotives |20 years Electric multiple units |25 years Passenger carriages |20 years High Speed trains |15 years
Westway
Mr. Soley : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has any further information on his proposals to widen the Westway at the intersection with Old Oak road and the impact it will have on tenants and home owners ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Chope : The public inquiry into the western circus improvement scheme at the junction of the A40 trunk road and Old Oak road closed on 16 August 1989. The inspector's report on that inquiry, at which the impact on local residents was discussed, is now being considered. My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for the Environment hope to announce their decision soon.
European High-speed Railways
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking following agreement at the meeting of the Council of Ministers on 17 December to provide a complete and integrated high-speed European rail network over the next 20 years.
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Mr. Freeman : The 17-18 December Transport Council adopted a resolution (11124/90) welcoming the Commission's initial report on the development of a European high-speed rail network and noting the progress made. The Council asked the Commission to carry out further studies of, among other things, the commercial aspects and financing of specific key links in the proposed network, including the proposed link from the channel tunnel to London.These further studies will be undertaken by the existing high level working party of representatives of the Governments of member states, the railway undertakings and the rail manufacturing industry. The United Kingdom will continue to take a full and active part in the work of this group.
Network SouthEast
Mr. Speed : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reconsider the requirement of Network SouthEast to run without Government financial support by 1993.
Mr. Freeman : We continue to discuss with British Rail the financial objective we have set for Network SouthEast and how it will be achieved.
EMPLOYMENT
Women
Mr. Atkinson : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list recent measures to encourage mothers to return to work ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Jackson : While recognising that returning to work must be a matter of personal choice for the woman concerned, my colleagues and I take every opportunity to encourage employers to adopt working practices to make it easier for employees to combine work and family responsibilities. This means more flexibility in hours of work and leave arrangements, job- sharing, career breaks, part-time working and, where appropriate, help with childcare costs.
Electricity Prices (Large Industrial Consumers)
Mr. Oakes : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is his estimate of job losses which would arise from the ending of the large industrial consumer scheme for electricity prices in April.
Mr. Jackson : My Department has made no such estimate.
Jobstart
Dr. Twinn : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what plans he has for the future of the jobstart programme ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Howard : The jobstart programme started in July 1986 as part of the package of measures available under the restart programme. Its aim is to encourage long-term unemployed people to take up full-time jobs they would otherwise not consider by paying them an allowance of £20 a week for six months. An adaptation of the programme was introduced as a pilot programme in
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four areas in June 1989. It aimed to encourage people aged over 50 to take up part-time work as a route back into full time work. Research has shown that the programme is not meeting this aim. A large number of participants would have taken their jobs without the allowance. In addition, it has sometimes been used to subsidise the wages of young single people.Take up of the programme has fallen significantly in the current financial year with applications in the last four months less than 50 per cent. of those for the same period last year. In these circumstances I have decided that the programme will close on 28 February 1991. The 50-plus jobstart pilots will also close at the same time.
Disabled People
Mr. Alfred Morris : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what European or other overseas government practices his Department has researched as part of its review of employment and training for disabled people.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 29 January 1991] : In the course of its internal review which led to the consultation document "Employment and Training for People with Disabilities", my Department took into account available information on the practices of all European Community countries. We did not commission specific research into this subject.
Youth Training
Mr. Matthew Taylor : To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many complete non-vocational qualifications at level II, or their equivalents, have been obtained by people on youth training in the last 12- month period for which figures are available ; and what was the total cost to public funds of youth training over the same period.
Mr. Jackson [holding answer 28 January 1991] : The information is not available as requested. Information about vocational qualifications collected through the youth training management information systems does not identify non-vocational qualifications separately. Estimates are available from the follow-up survey about the number of people obtaining academic qualifications. However, this information is not sufficiently detailed to identify national vocational qualification level equivalence.
Expenditure on the youth training scheme for the period April 1989 to March 1990, the latest 12-month period for which figures are available, was £976 million.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Insurance Claims
Mr. Aspinwall : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance he has to offer insurance companies and insured businesses and persons in respect of insurance claims arising from damage suffered to property in the United Kingdom as a direct result of terrorist activity related to the current conflict in the Gulf ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Redwood : I have nothing to add to my answer of 17 January ( Official Report, column 595 ) to my hon. Friend the Member for Chelmsford (Mr. Burns).
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Telecommunications (Wales)
Miss Hoey : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response he has received to the consultative document on telecommunications in respect of Wales.
Mr. Redwood : My Department has received five responses to the Government's consultative document "Competition and Choice : Telecommunications Policy for the 1990's" (Cm. 1303) from bodies either representing Welsh interests generally or located in Wales.
Laundering
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will investigate the part played by auditing firms in laundering cash.
Mr. Redwood : If the hon. Member has a particular case in mind and cares to let me have details, I shall be pleased to consider it.
Norton Group
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry from which firms inspectors were appointed to investigate the affairs of the Norton Group plc.
Mr. Redwood : The inspectors appointed on 7 January 1991 under section 432(2) of the Companies Act 1985 to investigate and report on the affairs of Norton Group plc are Mr. John Kenneth Heywood, FCA of Messrs. Price Waterhouse and Mr. Richard George Bramwell McCombe, QC.
Industrial Electricity Consumers
Mr. Oakes : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the ending of the large industrial consumer scheme of electricity prices in April, with particular regard to the export and import of chloralkali products.
Mr. Sainsbury : Large consumers, including chloralkali producers, have a number of supply options open to them as a result of the competitive framework which the Government have introduced in the electricity industry.
ECGD Insurance Services Group
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations he has had with the staff of the insurance services group of ECGD regarding their preferences for retaining their civil service status subsequent to the trade sale to a private bidder.
Mr. Sainsbury : In June 1990, all staff in ECGD were invited to complete a questionnaire to state their preliminary preferences, without commitment, about joining the privatised company or remaining within the civil service. Since then, around 800 staff have been invited to individual interviews, including all staff in the insurance services group. Almost all staff invited to interviews accepted. Staff are encouraged to discuss the matter with their line managers or personnel officer at any time. When the identity of the new owners and the terms and conditions of employment they are offering are known, staff will be given at least a month to state their final preferences.
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Food Safety
Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many additional standards officers have been employed to implement the provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 and the EC directive on consumer protection.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 25 January 1991] : Trading standards officers are employed by the local weights and measures authorities. It is the responsibility of each authority to employ sufficient staff to enforce consumer protection and environmental health legislation.
Motor Vehicles (Security)
Mr. Amos : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has undertaken or sponsored into improvements in security devices on motor vehicles ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 29 January 1991] : None. There is considerable scope for improving vehicle security, using known technologies, through ordinary product development work. The industry is already pursuing this, in response to commercial pressures, and I see no role for the Department in support of additional research.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
The Gulf
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the Arab states with whom, before 15 January, he discussed the issue of linkage between Iraq's retreat from Kuwait and a middle east peace conference ; and what positions they took.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Since 2 August of last year, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and other FCO Ministers have had opportunities to discuss Iraq's invasion of Kuwait with the majority of Arab leaders. They recognised that the present crisis had to be resolved before attention could return to the other problems of the middle east.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what Arab states have committed forces to the allied side in the Gulf conflict ; and what formal intimation he has received from each about their war aims.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Contributions to the multinational force have been made by Egypt, Morocco, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The aim of the force is to enforce the relevant Security Council resolutions acting under the authority of the United Nations as given in Security Council resolution 678.
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the state of Kuwait formally requested the United Kingdom to engage in the use of force under resolution 678 of the United Nations Security Council.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : British forces are engaged under the express authority of the Security Council in resolution 678.
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The action has the support and approval of the Government of Kuwait, whose forces are also in action alongside those of their allies.Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is the Government's policy with regard to that part of United Nations Security Council resolution 678 which refers to restoring international peace and security in the area.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Our objectives in the current crisis remain as defined in UNSCR 678 which authorises United Nations member states co- operating with the Government of Kuwait to use all necessary means to uphold and implement SCR 660 and all subsequent relevant resolutions of the council and to restore international peace and security in the area.
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