| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 437
introducing market-oriented economic reforms. In a discussion of the draft agreement put forward by Mr. Dunkel, the GATT Director General, the Council decided that the paper contained positive elements, but that its proposals on agriculture required modification. The Council asked the Commission to negotiate the necessary improvements.The Council also agreed to provide 35 mecu of emergency food aid to Albania. The Commission undertook to put forward proposals on the possible supply of raw materials to Albania.
Councils of Ministers
Mr. Lester : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish in the Official Report a statement of forthcoming business in the European Community's Councils of Ministers.
Mr. Hurd : The Foreign Affairs Council met on 10 and 11 January. The Economic and Finance Council may meet on 13 January. Ministers might consider further food aid to the former Soviet Union. The Agriculture Council will meet on 27 and 28 January. Ministers will continue to discuss the Commission's common agriculture policy reform proposals and any outstanding agriculture issues arising from the Uruguay round negotiations. Ministers may also discuss meat products.
Republic of Ireland
Mr. Kilfedder : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request the Government of the Republic of Ireland to establish a system of payments to the United Kingdom Exchequer, or United Kingdom local authorities, in respect of expenditure in support for Irish citizens who are homeless in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Yeo : I have been asked to reply.
I do not consider that such a request would be appropriate.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Company Receiverships
Mr. Beith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has as to the proportion of the total of company receiverships which are initiated by the (a) Customs and Excise and (b) by the Inland Revenue.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Neither Customs and Excise nor the Inland Revenue initiate the appointment of receivers.
Local Authority Asset Sales
Mr. Soley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish details of the assumptions used in assessing the proceeds from local authority asset sales for 1992-93 in table 1.A.13 of the Grey Book, including the expected proceeds from right-to-buy and voluntary transfers ; and what allowance has been made in the forecast increase in local authority sales proceeds for 1992-93 for the declining trend in the right- to-buy.
Mr. David Mellor : Table 1.A.13 of the 1991 Autumn Statement, Cm 1729, shows local authority purchases and
Column 438
sales of land and buildings. The figures for local authority asset sales for 1992-93 were rounded to the nearest £1 billion, reflecting their tentative nature. These are broad estimates based, among other things, on the proceeds from such asset sales in previous years, and it would not be appropriate to break down the analysis in detail.Government Data Network
Mr. Doran : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many computers operated by Government Departments are connected to the Government data network ; and how many individual files are linked to that network.
Mr. Maples : Access agreements to use the network have been made between Racal Data Networks Limited and 22 Departments or non-departmental Government bodies. These are Inland Revenue, Department of Social Security, Home Office, Her Majesty's Customs and Excise, Employment Department, Her Majesty's Treasury, Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Department of Energy, General Register Office (Scotland), the Intervention Board Executive Agency, Department of Trade and Industry, Welsh Office, Department of Transport, Ordnance Survey, Department for National Savings, Department of Health, Natural History Museum, Cabinet Office, National Museums of Scotland, Property Holdings and the Paymaster General's Office. Some 2,800 network access points have been installed. Details of computer systems that send and receive data over the Government data network are not held centrally.
Bad Debts
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has of the present amount of indebtedness to the United Kingdom banking sector which is regarded as bad or doubtful ; and what information he has of the proportions of bad or doubtful indebtedness which exist in respect of (a) United Kingdom based small firms, (b) United Kingdom based large companies, (c) investment in the USA and (d) investment in Latin America, Asia or Africa.
Mr. Maples : The Bank of England publishes information about the provisions made against bad debt by the large United Kingdom banks in its annual report under the Banking Act. The latest published figures are in the bank's report for 1990-91. Separate figures are given for provisions against domestic bad debt, commercial bad debt and problem country debt. However, the breakdown requested is not available.
Voluntary Donations to the Treasury
Mr. Thurnham : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, by financial year, (a) the number of people who sent voluntary extra donations to the Treasury and (b) what the total amount of such contributions were, for each of the last 15 years.
Mr. Maude : The information to ascertain the numbers of people for all these years together is available only at disproportionate cost. The net amounts of voluntary extra contributions received by the Inland Revenue for each year are as follows :
Column 439
Year |Amount (£ ) ------------------------------------------ 31 March 1977 |10,623.36 31 March 1978 |9,350.22 31 October 1979 |11,129.77 31 October 1980 |310,988.93 31 October 1981 |129,246.98 31 October 1982 |41,247.59 31 October 1983 |18,140.58 31 October 1984 |80,386.81 31 October 1985 |39,329.49 31 October 1986 |26,926.90 31 October 1987 |23,479.48 31 October 1988 |105,357.05 31 October 1990 |2,587.50 31 October 1991 |147,012.95
Figures are not now kept for financial years.
The net amount is arrived at after adjustment, for example for individuals who subsequently claim their previously anonymous payment.
Civil Service (Working Conditions)
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent meetings he has had with civil service trade union representatives to discuss hours and conditions of work.
Mr. Maples : I meet civil service trade union representatives from time to time to discuss a variety of issues.
Retail Sales
Sir Michael Neubert : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the level of retail sales in (a) December 1991 and (b) December 1990.
Mr. Maples : The estimate of the volume of retail sales, seasonally adjusted, in December 1990 is 119.7--1985 = 100. The estimate for December 1991 will be published on Monday 20 January.
EC Social Policy
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is envisaged that under the protocol on the social policy agreed at Maastricht the 11 member states who are allowed recourse to the institutions of the EC will have to make a payment to the EC to cover the costs to the EC of such recourse.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Any act adopted by the 11 member states under the protocol on social policy will not be applicable to the United Kingdom ; nor will the United Kingdom bear any financial consequences, other than administrative costs for the institutions, arising from such acts.
Soviet Union Debt
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimate of the total value of the extended debt of the Soviet Union owed to banks and other commercial organisations within the EC.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Precise data are not available. The total amount of the former Soviet Union's hard currency debt is in excess of $60 billion, of which some $38 billion is owed to EC creditors. Most of this debt
Column 440
represents guaranteed and non-guaranteed bank loans. German banks are the largest creditors--$19.4 billion according to the Bundesbank--though much of this lending has been guaranteed either by the German Government or by the German export credit agency.Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the total external debt of the Soviet Union is owed to banks and commercial organisations in (a) the United Kingdom and (b) Germany.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The total claims of domestic German banks on the Soviet Union at the end of June 1991 were DM 35.2 billion--$19.4 billion-- according to data provided by the Bundesbank. The total contractual claims of United Kingdom registered banks--including those of United Kingdom subsidiaries of foreign owned banks--were $2.9 billion at the same date. Assuming Soviet external debt to have been in the region of $60 billion in mid-1991--although there are some higher estimates--debt to United Kingdom and German banks would have constituted 4.8 and 32.3 per cent. respectively of total Soviet external debt. In both cases, much of the bank lending was guaranteed by Governments and export credit agencies.
Gross National Products
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the GNP per capita of each of the EC member states, expressed as a percentage of the Community average.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Following are the data for gross domestic product per capita, using purchasing power parities, for EC member states.
GDP Per Capita 1990, Converted at Purchasing Power Parities, EC Average = 100 Country |GDP ------------------------------- Luxembourg |127 Germany |112 Denmark |108 France |108 Italy |106 United Kingdom |104 Netherlands |102 Belgium |101 Spain |77 Ireland |69 Greece |52 Portugal |52 Source: OECD Main Economic Indicators, December 1991
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will list each of those regions of the EC whose GNP per capita is less than 100 per cent. of the Community average.
Mr. Norman Lamont : Data for gross domestic product per capita for EC regions are published by the Central Statistical Office in "Regional Trends 26", 1991 edition.
Gaming Taxes
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the levels and amounts of tax from each main form of gaming, betting and lotteries for the current year.
Column 441
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : In the year ending 31 March 1991 receipts from the betting and gaming duties and the rates of duty applied were as follows :Column 441
|Revenue (£ 000) |Rate of duty
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Off-course betting |479,064 |8 per cent. of stake
On-course betting |- |Not taxed
Pool betting |303,944 |37" per cent. of stake
Casino gaming |57,367 |Premises licence of £ 250 plus graduated percentages of gross gaming yield
|bands, varying between 2" per cent. and 33er cent.
Gaming machines |98,631 |Machine licence of £ 150 to £ 960, dependent on the amount of payout and
|the cost to play
Bingo |67,432 |10 per cent. of stake money paid for cards plus 1/9th of added prize money
Lotteries |- |Not taxed
Most gambling is exempt from VAT, but the tax is chargeable on the net take of gaming machines and on certain fees to participate in bingo. It is not possible to calculate the VAT yield from information provided on VAT returns.
Councillors (Attendance Allowances)
Sir David Price : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what authority local councillors' attendance allowances are classified as earned income for tax purposes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Maude : Local authority councillors are office holders and therefore are assessable to income tax under the ordinary schedule E charging provisions on any attandance allowances they receive for the performance of approved duties. The charge to tax is imposed by section 19 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
Cigarettes (Taxation)
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the effect on the retail prices index of raising additional duty and tax on cigarettes in order to produce £750 million additional annual revenue.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : This would raise the retail prices index by 0.3 per cent.
Gaming
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account is taken of (a) betting, (b) gaming and (c) lotteries in the compilation of the retail prices index.
Mrs. Gillian Shephard : Betting, gaming and lotteries are not covered by the retail prices index.
Soviet Economy
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the effects on the Soviet economy of the advice he has given.
Mr. Norman Lamont : The authorities of the former Soviet Union and of the republics have been very keen to discuss their reform plans with the United Kingdom Government and others in the west. During my visit to the Soviet Union last summer, and in the many contracts which I have had in recent months with policy makers, I have urged the adoption of a comprehensive and radical reform programme with the aim of achieving macro- economic stability and establishing a market economy.
Column 442
Other G7 countries and the international financial institutions, in particular the International Monetary Fund, have been providing similar advice.The United Kingdom set up a know-how-fund' for the Soviet Union in 1990 to provide technical assistance and advice. This fund was more than doubled to £50 million last summer. A number of other countries and the European Community are also providing technical assistance, training and advice to the ex-Soviet Union.
The Russian Government have now taken the first major step in the direction of creating a market economy by freeing most prices from 2 January. Many other republics have followed or will follow this move. I have constantly emphasised to the Russian Government, and the Governments of the other republics, the importance of continuing and intensifying their discussions with the IMF on the implementation of these and further reforms. Russia and the Ukraine have now both applied for full IMF membership. Other republics have also applied or are expected to do so soon.
In the short term, I expect that these reforms will lead to higher prices and a fall in output as inflationary pressures are brought out into the open and uneconomic enterprises close. However, I am convinced that in the medium term a successful move to a market economy will create the conditions for a substantial improvement in living standards. The ex-Soviet Union is rich in natural resources and has a well educated workforce. If reform is successful, the prospects for growth are very good.
Alcohol Tax
Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met representatives of the spirits industry about current EC proposals to harmonise tax rates on different types of alcoholic beverages.
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give details of the outcome of discussions with the drinks industry over EC excise proposals.
Sir Hector Monro : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will press for the inclusion in the current EC excise proposals of a mechanism to prevent further increases in tax discrimination against spirits in each member state.
Mr. Bill Walker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to press for an EC tax harmonisation programme which reduces differentials between alcoholic beverages.
Mr. Raffan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what response he intends to make to the report,
Column 443
"Competition Between Alcoholic Drinks : an Analysis", commissioned by the Scotch Whisky Association and the Gin and Vodka Association ; and what amendments he intends seeking to the European Commission's proposals on excise tax rates.Mrs. Gillian Shephard : My right hon. Friend met representatives of the spirits industry to discuss EC proposals for excise duty harmonisation on 1 October 1991. We have since received the industry's report on competition between alcoholic drinks. Treasury Ministers fully understand the case the industry has put forward for a "capping" mechanism to prevent any further discrimination against spirits after 1992. We are now considering how best to respond to the current harmonisation proposals when further discussions resume in Brussels.
Incomes
Mr. Meacher : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the gains or losses from each Budget since 1979 (i) before indexation and (ii) after indexation for those with incomes, (a) below £5,000 a year, (b) £5,000 to £10,000, (c) £10,000 to £15,000, (d) £15, 000 to £20,000, (e) £20,000 to £30,000, (f) £30,000 to £50,000, (g) £50,000 to £70,000, (h) £70,000 to £100,000 and (i) over £100,000 a year.
Mr. Maude : The gains and losses from each Budget depend on many factors and it would be impracticable to attempt to estimate the effects of all Budget measures since 1979. Information on the effects of specific measures may be found in the press notices issued each Budget day by the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise.
Share Ownership
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the impact of the privatisation and flotation of (a) Government- owned companies and (b) the Abbey National building society and the Trustee Savings bank, on the overall level of share ownership in the United Kingdom at the latest available date.
Mr. Maude : Share ownership in Great Britain in 1979 is estimated to have been 7 per cent. of the adult population. The latest Treasury-Stock Exchange survey showed that in 1991 share ownership had risen to 25 per cent. of the adult population of Great Britain. Five per cent. of the adult population owned shares in privatisation issues only ; 4 per cent. owned Abbey National shares only ; and 1 per cent. owned Trustee Savings Bank shares only. Information for the United Kingdom as a whole is not available.
Tax Allowances
Mr. Tom Clarke : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on Treasury revenues in a full year in (i) 1991-92 and (ii) 1992-93 of introducing an upper limit on all income tax allowances and reliefs of (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000 and (c) £20,000 a year with (1) the current tax allowances and reliefs and (2) limiting all income tax allowances and reliefs except the single person's allowance to the basic rate, giving the revenue from each relief separately, the total revenue and the numbers of people affected, for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Column 444
Mr. Francis Maude [pursuant to his reply, 19 December 1991, c. 221] : I regret that, due to an administrative error, the complete answer was not given. It should have read as follows :
It is estimated that at 1991-92 levels of income the introduction of the upper limits specified would yield the following :
Upper limit |Yield in a |Yield following
for total |full year under|restriction of
allowances |the current |all reliefs
and reliefs |tax regime |and specified
|allowances to
|the basic rate
|£ million |£ million
----------------------------------------------------------------
£ 10,000 |590 |390
£ 15,000 |240 |150
£ 20,000 |140 | 90
The estimated yield from restricting all allowances, except the basic personal allowance, to the basic rate is about £300 million. The estimated yield from restricting all reliefs to the basic rate is £600 million. Of this figure about £250 million results from restricting relief on employee contributions to occupational pensions and about £150 million results from restricting relief on personal pension contributions.
The number of people with total allowances and reliefs in excess of £10,000 is about 635,000. The corresponding figures for £15,000 and £20,000 are about 75,000 and 35,000 respectively.
The estimates of revenue yield do not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the introduction of such a limit.
It is not possible to provide corresponding detailed estimates for 1992-93.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Fuel Crops
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in the United Kingdom in growing crops economically for use as fuel or energy ; what research facilities his Department is able to provide for this activity ; and what studies have been made of the practice in other EC countries.
Mr. Curry : A wide range of crops for use as fuel or energy has been studied as part of the renewable energies programme of the Department of Energy. In recent years this work has concentrated on short rotation coppice wood because this gives good yields of dry biomass. For the same reason, there is interest in high yielding grasses such as miscanthus. At present, the growing of crops for fuel or energy is uncompetitive with more conventional energy sources but this could change in the future. The most promising energy sources appear to be wood and straw through direct burning but the economics are not yet attractive enough to encourage industrial use on any appreciable scale. Liquid fuels such as ethanol from cereals or sugarbeet or biodiesel from oilseed rape are also uncompetitive at the present time.
The Ministry has experimental husbandry farms, within its Agricultural Development and Advisory Service, which is shortly to become an agency, and these would be available for growing energy crops, if it was considered that additional sites were needed to supplement those already in existence.
Column 445
Other EC countries are also interested in crops for energy purposes, especially in wood and high yielding grasses. Germany and France have shown particular interest in ethanol from sugarbeet or cereals.An excellent account of the prospects for renewable energies from crops is contained in the evidence given to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Communities, Session 1990-91, seventh report "Non-Food Uses of Agricultural Products".
Farmed Salmon
Mr. Wallace : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he has taken to monitor the enforcement of the minimum import price structure on the imports of farmed salmon into the European Community ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Curry : Enforcement of the minimum import prices on consignments of farmed Atlantic salmon entering the Community is the responsibility of national customs authorities. The Commission has responsibility for monitoring that these Community rules are observed. I have written to the Commission emphasising the importance of ensuring that the requirements are strictly adhered to, and will draw any specific evidence of evasion to the Commission's attention.
Food Aid (Eastern Europe)
Sir Michael NcNair-Wilson : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps are being taken to ensure that food held in intervention, which is surplus to the stocks considered necessary by the EC as a proper reserve, is being made available as food aid for the newly independent countries of eastern Europe, including Russia.
Mr. Curry : Decisions on the supply of food aid take account of the needs of the recipient country. Where appropriate, supplies are drawn from intervention stocks, but in other cases they are purchased through the market for cost, availability or other reasons.
Bottled Water
Mr. Sheerman : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps he intends taking to improve the quality standards of bottled waters.
Mr. Maclean : I expect to make proposals shortly for regulations under the Food Safety Act covering the quality of bottled waters, except for natural mineral waters which are already subject to the Natural Mineral Waters Regulations 1985. My officials are also involved in discussions with Brussels concerning the revision of the natural mineral waters directive.
Food Exhibition
Mr. Gill : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if his Department has considered an application for an exhibition relating to the role of the United Kingdom Food Processing Industry presented by the Food and Drink Federation to be displayed in the Upper Waiting Hall.
Mr. Maclean : Yes. I have agreed to open the exhibition on 27 January.
Column 446
Tuberculosis
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much has been paid in compensation in respect of cattle slaughtered under the tuberculosis eradication scheme in each year since 1989.
Mr. Maclean : The amount of compensation paid for cattle slaughtered under the tuberculosis eradication programme is as follows :
|£ million
-------------------------------------------
1989 |0.58
1990 |1.10
1991 (to November) |0.65
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the action taken so far by him to control tuberculosis in deer.
Mr. Maclean : Tuberculosis in deer was made notifiable in June 1989. Slaughter with compensation arrangements were introduced on 1 September 1989 and a voluntary deer health scheme launched in December that year. Research into tuberculosis in deer is being pursued.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to launch a formal review of the evidence relating to bovine tuberculosis in badgers and the badger control strategy.
Mr. Maclean : Badger control strategy is kept under continuous review by the Department, in conjunction with the consultative panel on badgers and tuberculosis.
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on progress made to date on the development of a vaccine against bovine tuberculosis in badgers.
Mr. Maclean : Although research in this country and overseas is continuing, progress towards development of an effective vaccine for badgers is unlikely to be rapid.
Fallen Animals
Mr. Maginnis : To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will indicate the respects in which the provisions in England and Wales for the disposal of fallen and diseased animals diverge from the standards applying in the EC for animal health and food hygiene.
Mr. Maclean : Directive 90/667/EEC, which applies to England and Wales as to other parts of the Community, requires that animal waste be disposed of by rendering, burning or proper burial, but it also permits under a derogation traditional outlets such as knackers and hunt kennels to take fallen stock.
EDUCATION AND SCIENCE
Christchurch School, Shooters Hill
Mr. Peter Bottomley : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will list each date on which he received proposals to spend money on capital works at Christchurch Church of England primary school, Shooters Hill since 1979 ; and what was his decision in each case.
Column 447
Mr. Fallon : Two repair projects have been approved during the time in question, one in 1984 and one in 1990. Grant aid of £44, 879.12 was paid on the former. Work on the more recent project was deferred at the governors request and has yet to take place. Bids for major capital projects at Christchurch Church of England primary school were received from the Inner London education authority for the 1989 -90 financial year, and from Greenwich education authority for 1991-92 and 1992-93. None was successful. Greenwich LEA has only had control of its education capital expenditure since April 1990. Before this date, capital expenditure on school buildings in inner London, including Greenwich, was the responsibility of the ILEA. Detail on particular bids for major improvement works in Greenwich cannot be readily extracted from records on earlier ILEA capital bids.Resources for minor works at voluntary aided schools are allocated to LEAs for existing schools and it is for LEAs in consultation with voluntary bodies to determine how the funds are distributed between schools. For 1992 -93 Greenwich LEA has a minor works allocation of £144,000.
A total of £6,165.30 has been paid in grant-aid for three projects at the school approved since 1988 under the Department's voluntary rationing scheme for capital work costing less than £5,000, or repair work costing less than £10,000.
Chorlton C of E School
Mr. Tony Lloyd : To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science on what date he received the letter from the hon. Member for Stretford regarding Chorlton Church of England primary school ; on what date he came to a decision to use his powers under section 68 of the Education Act 1944 ; and if he will make a statement on the time taken to reach his decision.
| Next Section
| Home Page |