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Mr. Peter Lloyd : My right hon. Friend has no such plans.
Departmental Land Holdings
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the hectarage, number of holdings and numbers of tenants of holdings of agricultural land owned by his Department in each county or Scottish region in (a) 1980 and (b) 1990.
Mrs. Rumbold : The Home Office has the following agricultural land holdings in England and Wales :
Hectarage of agricultural land owned and managed by the prison
service
County |Number |1980 |1990
|of
|Holdings
----------------------------------------------------------------
Cambridge |1 |51 |28
Devon |3 |751 |559
Dorset |3 |146 |146
Buckinghamshire |1 |4 |4
Essex |1 |6 |6
Gloucestershire |1 |10 |10
Greater Manchester |2 |46 |46
Gwent |1 |86 |96
Hampshire |1 |79 |79
Hereford and Worcestershire |1 |43 |43
Humberside |1 |102 |102
Kent |3 |101 |85
Leicestershire |1 |34 |34
Lancashire |2 |189 |189
Lincolnshire |2 |518 |518
Nottinghamshire |3 |353 |353
Oxfordshire |1 |123 |nil
Staffordshire |3 |204 |204
Suffolk |2 |491 |491
Warwickshire |1 |nil |113
Wiltshire |1 |5 |5
Yorkshire (North) |1 |2 |2
Yorkshire (South) |2 |226 |226
Yorkshire (West) |2 |60 |60
Hectarage of agricultural land owned by the prison service but let to
tenants
County |Number |1980 |1990
|of
|Tenants
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Warwickshire |1 |<1>- |95.0
Surrey |1 |<1>- |19.0 |Oxfordshire|1 |5.5 |5.5
<1>(Tenancies not in existence in 1980)
Cash Limits
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he intends to make any changes to the 1991-92 cash limits within his responsibilities.
Mr. Kenneth Baker : The cash limit for class IX, vote 3 will be reduced by £365,000 from £891,317,000 to £890,952,000 to reflect transfers of provision to the Department of Education and Science for additional resource units for probation students at universities (£205,000) and to the Lord Chancellor's Department for training material for magistrates on the Criminal Justice Act 1991 (£160,000).
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Aid Budget
Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the Government's spending on aid in 1990, expressed both in actual sum spent and as a percentage of gross national product ; and if he will make a statement.
Mrs. Chalker : Official development assistance in 1990 was £1,490 million, which was 0.27 per cent. of gross national product. We plan the aid programme on financial years, so that figures based on calendar years may not reflect the planned level of expenditure. Our planning figure for 1991-92 as a proportion of estimated GNP is 0.31 per cent.
Cash Limits
Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made in the 1991-92 cash limit for expenditure by the Overseas Development Administration.
Mrs. Chalker : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit on the Overseas Aid Vote (class II vote 5) will be increased by £65,225,000 from £1,573,117, 000 to £1,638,342,000. The increase provides for humanitarian relief responses in
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respect of Iraqi refugees, the African famine and the Bangladesh cyclone, and balance of payments support for India. It also takes account of two small transfers of resources in respect of eastern Europe involving the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health. The running costs cash limit for the ODA has also been increased by £50,000 from £44,843,000 to £44,893,000. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
Hong Kong
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the new obligations and undertakings contained in the recently agreed memorandum of understanding between the United Kingdom and Chinese Governments.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : The details of the memorandum of understanding were placed in the Library of the House on the same day as my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made a statement to the House on this subject.
Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the autonomy of Hong Kong before and after 1997.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Hong Kong has in practice long enjoyed substantial autonomy in most areas, particularly in economic, commercial and financial matters. Under the joint declaration, from 1 July 1997 the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China will enjoy a high degree of autonomy except for foreign and defence affairs. It will be vested with executive, legislative and independent judicial power.
Cambodia
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on progress in Cambodia arising from the Paris peace agreement of 23 October.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I refer the honourable Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Exeter (Mr. Hannam) on 22 October. Since then, on 31 October, the UN Security Council has adopted resolution 718 authorising the UN Secretary General to designate a special representative for Cambodia and carry out preparatory work for the establishment of UN transitional authority in Cambodia.
Mr. Mariusz Kuziak
Sir Eldon Griffiths : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why Mariusz Kuziak, a Polish citizen, was denied an entry visa to spend a fortnight with his relatives in Bury St. Edmunds.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.
European Community
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration the intergovernmental conferences have given to increasing
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the membership of the Community ; and what adjustment, if any, has been made to draft treaties on environment and political union to accommodate future new members.Mr. Garel-Jones : The agenda of the intergovernmental conference includes consideration of extended Community action on environment, but enlargement of the Community is not formally under discussion. It is expected to be debated after the conclusion of the conference.
Nuclear Weapons (Ukraine)
Mr. Allen : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations Her Majesty's Government are engaged in with the Republic of Ukraine to reduce or eliminate nuclear weapons.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : None. In addition to President Kravchuk's earlier assurances to the United Nations General Assembly, the Ukrainian Supreme Soviet recently adopted a declaration affirming its commitment to observing the provisions of START and achieving eventual non-nuclear status, including accession to the non-proliferation treaty. We have, however, had contacts with Ukrainian representatives and are urging them to adhere to these commitments.
Albania
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement concerning government policy towards Albania, its economy and the establishment of democratic institutions there.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : We warmly welcome the progress towards full democratisation and the establishment of a free market economy in Albania. In pursuit of this, the Government support the help being given by international institutions and maintains contact with members of the Government and opposition in Tirana.
Mr. Alex Carlile : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy to establish a British embassy in Albania ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : This matter is currently under review. I will inform the hon. and learned Member when a decision is taken.
Cash Limits
Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he proposes to make any changes in his Department's diplomatic wing cash limits for 1991-92.
Mr. Lennox-Boyd : Subject to parliamentary approval of the Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class II, vote 2 (Other External Relations) will be increased by £8,500,000 from £156,931,000 to £165,431,000 to reflect increased costs due to our contributions to the United Nations Iraq/Kuwait observer mission, United Nations observer mission in Western Sahara, United Nations human rights verification unit in El Salvador and the United Nations special commission in Iraq.
This increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total as announced in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Footwear Imports
Mr. Vaz : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the representations he has received from the footwear industry concerning footwear imports from China ; whether he has replied ; and what measures he plans to take to address their concerns.
Mr. Sainsbury : I have received a number of letters, including an application from the British Footwear Manufacturers' Federation for my Department to ask the European Commission for the suspension, under article 115 of the treaty of Rome, of free circulation of imported footwear originating in the People's Republic of China. After careful consideration of the industry's case I decided that the facts were not sufficient to warrant such a step. The federation has been informed and I have agreed to meet their representatives on 13 December.
RETEXT Scheme
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he has been consulted by the European Commission on proposals for a RETEXT scheme to encourage economic development of areas of textile and clothing concentration ; and whether the United Kingdom will be eligible for EC assistance under such a scheme.
Mr. Leigh : I have not yet been consulted. If such a scheme proceeds, however, I would expect textile areas of the United Kingdom to be eligible.
Uruguay Round
Mr. Lee : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in the GATT Uruguay round, with particular reference to the textile and clothing trade.
Mr. Sainsbury : The Government are continuing to work with our European Community partners for an early successful conclusion to the Uruguay round. This would involve, among other things, an agreement to reduce barriers to world trade in textiles and to integrate this sector into GATT on the basis of strengthened rules and disciplines.
CIVIL SERVICE
Cash Limits
Mr. Wolfson : To ask the Minister for the Civil Service if there are any proposals to change the 1991-92 cash limit for the office of the Minister for the Civil Service.
Mr. Renton : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (class XIX,vote 1) will be increased by £4,173, 000 from £37,548,000 to £41,721,000.
The increase is required to cover the increased cost of the London economic summit ; the cost of launching the citizens charter and the take up of capital expenditure provision under end year flexibility arrangements. In addition certain capital expenditure provision has been reallocated to current expenditure to cover reimbursing former Prime Ministers for the cost of maintaining an additional office.
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Some of the above changes in provision have a consequent effect on the Department's running costs limit which will be increased by £3, 776,000 from £45,276,000 to £49,052,000.The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Index-linked Gilts
Mr. Lawson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing, for each year since their inception, the proportion that index-linked gilts represented of the total amount of gilt- edged stock in the hands of the public, that is, all holdings other than official.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The proportion of market holdings of gilts in indexed form is as follows :
End-March ------------------------------ 1981 |1.3 1982 |3.1 1983 |6.5 1984 |7.0 1985 |8.4 1986 |9.1 1987 |11.3 1988 |11.3 1989 |13.7 1990 |16.0 1991 |17.7 Note: Calculated using nominal values plus accrued uplift for indexed gilts divided by the total.
Mortgages
Mr. Allen : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are currently repaying a mortgage.
Mr. Maples : According to figures published by the Council of Mortgage Lenders, 9,628,000 mortgages were outstanding at the end of June 1991. A figure for the number of people repaying a mortgage is not available because a proportion of mortgages are joint or second mortgages.
European Central Bank
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what substantial differences Her Majesty's Government have identified between the model set out by the Dutch EC Presidency for an independent European central bank and the Bundesbank.
Mr. Maude : The model to which the hon. Gentleman refers is set out in a document produced by the EC Presidency as a basis for further negotiation at the Inter-Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union. The United Kingdom and other member states are not committed to any particular part of its contents.
The Government have not sought to draw comparisons between the institution proposed in that document and the German Bundesbank.
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Bankruptcy
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bankruptcy petitions have been brought by Customs and Excise this year.
Mr. Gillian Shephard : In the calendar year to 1November 1991 Customs and Excise have presented 5,486 bankruptcy petitions in England and Wales, 255 in Scotland and a further 178 in Northern Ireland.
Mr. Michael Brown : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bankruptcy petitions have been brought by the Inland Revenue this year.
Mr. Maude : The number of bankruptcy (individuals) and winding-up (Companies) petitions filed by the Inland Revenue in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for the period 1 January 1991 to 30 September 1991 is :
|Number
-----------------------------------
Bankruptcy petitions |2,013
Winding-up petitions |592
The precise equivalent figures for Scotland cannot be ascertained without disproportionate cost but do not exceed 74 individuals and 20 companies.
EC Economic Growth
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing the average rate of economic growth of the six founder members of the EC from 1964 to 1973 and since 1979.
Mr. Maples : Table R1 in "National Accounts ESA Aggregates 1970-1989 Theme 2 Series C" published by Eurostat gives annual growth rates for gross domestic product at market prices for 1970 to 1989. Data for earlier years can be calculated from Table 25 in "National Accounts Main Aggregates Volume 1 1960-1989" published by OECD or can be obtained from the Statistical Office of the European Communities. Copies of these publications are available in the Library of the House.
Taxpayers Charter
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the differences between the 1986 taxpayers charter and the 1991 taxpayers charter represent changes in Government policy ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : The new charter seeks to convey the aims of the 1986 charter more clearly, by expressing them in a fresh and more focused way.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what alteration to the statutes governing the Bank of England's relationship with the Government would be required to comply with the Dutch Government's proposed draft treaty on economic and monetary union and the independence of member states' central banks.
Mr. Maude : The model to which the hon. Gentleman refers is set out in a document produced by the EC Presidency as a basis for further negotiation at the
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Inter-Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union. The UK and other member states are not committed to any particular part of its contents. The issues raised by the hon. Gentleman are still under discussion and no conclusion has yet been reached.Mr. Sillars : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration was given by participants in the intergovernmental conference on economic and monetary union to including among the convergence measurement criteria the levels of unemployment and investment.
Mr. Maude : The Inter-Governmental Conference on economic and monetary union has considered a range of criteria. The Dutch Presidency text reflects the view that convergence of inflation and interest rates, successful membership of the narrow band of the ERM, and the avoidance of excessive budget deficits are the appropriate tests.
Manufacturing Industry
Mr. Dykes : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give the lastest available index figures for real output in manufacturing industry together with figures for the time period or periods since 1973 for the United Kingdom, France, Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Mr. Mellor : The latest available information of manufacturing output at 1985 prices, seasonally adjusted is as follows :
|United |France |Italy |Germany
|Kingdom
------------------------------------------------
1973 |110.5 |93.7 |85.5 |87.9
1991
Q2 |112.6 |110.9 |114.2 |124.3
July 113.4 not available
August |112.2
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a table showing manufacturing output less food, drink, tobacco, paper, printing and publishing in 1973, 1979, 1989 and the second quarter of 1991.
Mr. Mellor : The information requested on manufacturing output less food, drink, tobacco, paper, printing and publishing cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each year since 1970 imports and exports of semi-finished and finished manufactures, less erratics, at 1990 prices.
Mr. Mellor : Information from which trade in semi-manufactures and finished manufactures less erratics at 1990 prices may be derived is available on the Central Statistical Office database which may be accessed through the Library of the House.
Unemployment
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the effect on the balance of payments on current account in terms of £ billion of an increase of 1 million in the number of unemployed.
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Mr. Mellor : There is no straightforward relationship between unemployment and the current account.
Money Supply
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish a table showing for each of the years 1961 to 1990 the percentage increase in the supply of money plus quasi-money as defined by the International Monetary Fund in its International Financial Statistics Yearbook.
Mr. Maples : The information is given in the IMF's International Financial Statistics Yearbook for 1991 (pages 94 and 95) and for 1989 (also pages 94 and 95), copies of which are available in the Library.
House Prices
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the increase in the real price of houses since 1979 has had on the level of economic activity.
Mr. Maples : Increases in real house prices raise real personal sector wealth and hence probably consumer spending. But both real house prices and economic activity will to some extent be influenced by the same underlying factors.
European Parliament
Mr. Sillars : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what reasons a majority of member states in the intergovernmental conference has given for preferring a consultative and not a legislative role for the European Parliament, as set out in the letter to him of 25 October from the Dutch Minister of Finance.
Mr. Maude : The views of the member states expressed in the Inter- Governmental Conference on Economic and Monetary Union are a matter for their respective Governments. The Treaty provisions on EMU as presently under discussion in the IGC will encompass relatively little legislation. Instead, they will develop the coordination of national economic policies between the member states, and will establish a European central bank to be responsible for monetary policy.
Guest Houses
Mr. Bellotti : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department has any plans to give Inland Revenue officials the power to carry out spot checks on premises not registered for uniform business rate which can accommodate six or more paying guests.
Mr. Maude : Inland Revenue valuation officers and their staff have powers to enter premises in pursuance of their statutory duties, provided at least 24 hours notice in writing is given, and the authorised person produces his other authority on request. There are no plans to extend these powers.
VAT
Mr. Grylls : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the aggregate amount of bank guarantees currently provided by registered traders to Her Majesty's
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Customs and Excise in respect of VAT on imports and the proportion thereof that relates to imports from other EC member states.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Under the duty deferment scheme Her Majesty's Customs and Excise hold guarantees given by banks and insurance companies in respect of combined import VAT, customs and excise duties and levies. The total value of these guarantees fluctuates daily but the element attributable to import VAT is currently estimated to be about £2,600 million, of which some £1,600 million can be attributed to imports from other EC Member States.
Exchange Rate Mechanism
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of membership of the exchange rate mechanism of the European monetary system on economic growth.
Mr. Maude : Membership of the exchange rate mechanism helps to secure lower inflation, thereby providing the necessary climate for healthy sustainable growth.
Citizens Charter
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his citizens charter includes measures taken by Government Departments prior to the publication of the document ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : The citizens charter builds on the earlier successes of the financial management initiative and, more recently, the Next Steps programme of management reform which has led to the creation of 56 agencies. It draws on the efforts of individual Departments and agencies to improve the services they offer to their customers. The charter aims to raise the quality of public services and make them more responsive to their users through increased choice, the extension of competition and accountability, and the provision of more information on the standards of service that they can expect to receive. The citizens charter contains a wide range of new proposals for this.
Cash Limits
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any changes will be made to the Department for National Savings' cash limit and running cost limit for 1991-92.
Mr. Maples : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 9 (expenditure of the Department for National Savings on administration, publicity costs and certain other expenses) will be increased by £2, 082,000 from £181,732,000 to £183,814,000. The running costs limit for the Department for National Savings will be increased by £2,082, 000 from £175,118,000 to £177,200,000. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
£582,000 of the increase is in respect of the take-up of end-year- flexibility on running costs as announced by the
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Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 186-190. The remaining £1,500,000 of the increase is in respect of additional expenditure on marketing activities to support the Government's funding objectives.Mr. David Martin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he is proposing any change to the Central Statistical Office's cash or running costs limits for 1991-92.
Mr. Maples : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 13 will be increased by £2,126,000 from £31,741,000 to £33,867,000 and the running costs limit by £1,336,000 from £31,101,000 to £32,437,000. These increases reflect measures to improve the quality of economic statistics including the redevelopment of computer systems following a review of the Department's information systems strategy, the take up of both capital and running costs end year flexibility entitlements, and transfers from Property Holdings (£78,000), class VIII, vote 7, the Office of the Minister for the Civil Service (£65, 000), class XIX, vote 1, the Department of Trade and Industry (£11, 000), class IV, vote 2 and Her Majesty's Treasury (£9,000), class XVIII, vote 1. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planned total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any changes are proposed to the cash limit and running cost limit for 1991- 92 for the Inland Revenue.
Mr. Maude : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 6 will be increased by £6,509,000 from £1,543,608,000 to £1,550,117,000 and the Department's running cost limit by £82,574,000 from £1,521,011,000 to £1,603,585,000. The change in both the cash limit and the running costs limit arises because of the work being undertaken by the valuation office in setting up the valuation lists for the council tax.
This increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
Mr. David Martin : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed in the cash limit and running cost cash limit for 1991 -92 for Customs and Excise.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for class XVIII, vote 5 will be increased by £8,656,000 from £729,600,000 to £738,256, 000 and the running cost limit for Customs and Excise by £3,096,000 from £629,800,000 to £632,896,000. The increase in the running costs limit arises from the take up of full end-year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 1991 at columns 185-90 and the costs associated with a programme for the training of overseas customs officers, the costs of which are being met by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (class II, vote 1), the Home Office (class IX, vote 3) and the Overseas Development Administration (class II, vote 5). The increase in the cash limit otherwise includes take up of the full end-year flexibility entitlement for capital expenditure ; the need to pay interest on refunds of VAT being made as
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a result of legal decisions prior to Royal Assent to the 1991 Finance Act (from which date payments can be made from revenue) ; and increased expenditure on legal fees and payments to the civil superannuation vote. The increase is within the forecast outturn for the planning total included in the Chancellor's autumn statement today.
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