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Immigration
Sir John Wheeler : To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for introducing an independent element into the procedures for handling complaints against the Immigration and Nationality Department.
Mr. Charles Wardle : Complainted, and complainants informed of the outcome. My right hon. and learned Friend has, however, decided that confidence in the complaints system would be enhanced if there were an independent means of monitoring the health of the system. He intends to appoint a complaints audit committee, comprising three members. The committee's remit will be to satisfy itself as to the effectiveness of the procedures for investigating complaints ; to draw IND management's attention to any weakness ; and to make an annual report to my right hon. and learned Friend. The committee will have access to all papers on complaints investigations, but will not be involved in the investigation of individual complaints or decisions in individual cases. The powers of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration are unaffected.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Indirect Taxes
Mr. Dewar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will update his answer of 25 November, Official Report, column 684, on the level of indirect taxes, giving figures for 1993-94.
Sir John Cope : At this time it is possible to give the answer only in respect of current duty levels. The figures in the table therefore relate to duty rates immediately after the Budget. This is different from the method used in the previous answer which covered the whole financial year, so for comparison the equivalent figures for 1992-93 are also shown. These differ from the answer of 25 November also because the method of calculating real increases has been adjusted. Ad valorem taxes have not been covered, except for cigarettes where the ad valorem element is included in addition to the specific duty. Aviation gasoline was not subject to duty in 1978-79.
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Duty Unit Post-Budget Percentage
DutyRate: increase in real
terms from 1978 to:
|1987 |1992 |1993 |1992 |1993
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hydrocarbon Oils
Leaded petrol |Pence per litre |6.60 |27.79 |30.58 |49.6 |61.6
Unleaded petrol |Pence per litre |6.60 |23.42 |25.76 |26.1 |36.1
Derv |Pence per litre |7.70 |22.85 |25.14 |5.4 |13.9
Made Wine
not exceeding 18 per cent. |£ per hectolitre |76.45 |217.25 |220.43 |11.0 |10.6
exceeding 18 per cent. |£ per hectolitre |84.14 |250.59 |220.43 |16.4 |0.6
Spirits |£ per litre |5.96 |19.81 |19.81 |18.1 |15.9
Beer |£ per hectolitre for each degree above 1,000|0.35 |1.108 |1.163 |12.5 |15.9
Cider and Perry |£ per hectolitre |5.32 |21.32 |22.39 |42.4 |46.8
Tobacco
cigarettes |£ per 1,000 |17.70 |67.53 |72.45 |35.5 |42.8
cigars |£ per kilogram |20.94 |67.89 |72.30 |15.2 |20.4
hand rolling tabacco |£ per kilogram |20.28 |71.63 |76.29 |25.5 |31.2
Bank of England
Mr. Andrew Smith : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions since 1963 the Treasury has exercised its power under section 4 of the Bank of England Act 1946 to give directions to the Bank of England.
Family Expenditure Survey
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he hopes to publish the results of his Department's family expenditure survey ; what has been the cost of carrying out this survey ; if he will send the hon. Member for Don Valley a copy of the questionnaire that interviewees were asked to complete over a two-week period ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson : I hope to publish the 1992 family expenditure survey in October 1993. The running cost of the family expenditure survey for the year 1992-93 is approximately £3.4 million. A copy of the 1992 questionnaire and diary has been sent to the hon. Member and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
Market Testing
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which professional services within his Department have been subjected to market testing within the last 12 months and with what result ; and which will be subjected to market testing within the next 12 months.
Mr. Nelson : No such services have been tested within the last 12 months. The Treasury's market testing programme for the period up to 30 September 1993 was set out on page 64 of the first report on the citizens charter (Cm 2010) and covers a number of professional services including economic model building and development, internal audit and consultancy inspection services. No decisions have been taken about market testing in 1993-94.
National Debt
Mr. Shore : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the current ratio of United Kingdom national debt to gross domestic product ; and what it will be in 1997-98 on the assumption that the public sector borrowing requirement will increase as set out in table 2B.5 of the financial statement for 1993-94.
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Mr. Lamont : I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Westmorland and Lonsdale (Mr. Jopling) on 29 March 1993 at column 17 .
Overseas Securities
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulations he intends to introduce to implement the legislation for the lending of overseas securities and for payments of manufactured overseas dividends on such securities.
Mr. Dorrell : Regulations are being laid today to bring into effect the new legislation on payments of manufactured overseas dividends in section 58 and schedule 13 of the Finance Act 1991. Further regulations will shortly be made under the provisions contained in schedule 23A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act--introduced by schedule 13 of the Finance Act 1991--to set out the arrangements for accounting for tax on manufactured overseas dividends. Regulations will also be made at the same time to bring into effect, for overseas securities, the amendments to the stock lending rules contained in section 57 of the Finance Act 1991.
The amendments to the stock lending rules will allow lending chains to contain more than three parties without tax charges arising on disposals of securities from one party to the next. This relaxation is designed to enhance the liquidity of the London market in overseas securities and the role of London as a major financial centre. The arrangements for accounting for tax on manufactured overseas dividends have been discussed in detail with market representatives over the past two years. They differ from the proposals outlined by my predecessor in the Committee stage debate on schedule 13--introduced as schedule 12--of the 1991 Finance Bill. However, the new arrangements, like those originally envisaged, aim to balance freedom for the markets with adequate protection for the Exchequer against the main risks of tax loss.
Inheritence Tax
Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many landowners in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) England have been conditionally exempted from inheritance tax.
Mr. Dorrell : Figures are not available on a constituency basis but in Lancashire six properties have benefited from conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital
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transfer tax. There have been 121 designations of land for conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax in England and 104 designations of historic buildings in England.Mr. Gordon Prentice : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 19 March, Official Report, column 418, what criteria are used in determining the extent of the publicity on public access to land where the owners are claiming exemption from inheritance tax by virtue of section 31 of the Inheritance Taxes Act 1984.
Mr. Dorrell : The heritage advisory agencies will discuss, with each owner, the appropriate level of publicity
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to be given to public access arrangements agreed in return for conditional exemption from inheritance tax or capital transfer tax. Each case is considered individually and all relevant factors, including the existing level of publicity, are taken into account.VAT
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each VAT office the number of registrations and deregistrations for each year since 1989.
Sir John Cope : The information requested is as follows :
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Registrations Deregistrations
Local VAT Office |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aberdeen |2,440 |2,378 |2,021 |2,036 |1,862 |1,818 |2,080 |1,832
Accrington |2,807 |2,680 |2,298 |2,114 |2,200 |2,050 |2,911 |2,369
Balham |3,959 |3,097 |2,791 |2,545 |2,304 |2,468 |3,282 |3,282
Bath |3,259 |2,545 |2,168 |2,297 |2,103 |2,114 |2,848 |2,912
Bedford |3,222 |2,909 |2,160 |1,784 |1,742 |2,359 |2,550 |2,389
Belfast |1,497 |1,611 |1,273 |1,343 |1,190 |1,165 |1,413 |1,557
Birmingham North |2,631 |2,372 |2,068 |1,983 |1,747 |1,729 |2,470 |2,552
Birmingham South |2,246 |2,080 |1,840 |1,842 |1,651 |1,560 |2,116 |2,168
Bradford |2,781 |2,584 |2,160 |2,162 |1,937 |2,007 |2,857 |2,434
Brighton |4,317 |3,448 |2,756 |2,646 |2,848 |2,682 |4,268 |3,513
Bristol |3,387 |2,908 |2,416 |2,049 |1,982 |2,338 |3,221 |2,479
Bury |2,312 |1,980 |2,086 |1,893 |1,767 |1,575 |2,333 |2,163
Cambridge |0 |0 |2,094 |2,056 |0 |0 |2,673 |2,726
Canterbury |3,610 |3,062 |1,931 |1,668 |2,612 |2,662 |3,322 |2,779
Cardiff |3,171 |2,841 |2,209 |3,029 |2,124 |2,090 |3,168 |3,334
Carlisle |2,040 |1,783 |1,466 |1,351 |1,596 |1,462 |1,932 |1,743
Carmarthen |1,492 |1,285 |1,023 |0 |1,044 |1,136 |1,586 |79
Cheadle |3,177 |2,803 |2,873 |2,532 |2,108 |1,965 |2,763 |3,005
Chester |3,033 |2,852 |2,736 |2,501 |2,211 |2,259 |3,334 |3,269
Chesterfield |2,787 |2,320 |2,198 |1,980 |2,026 |1,982 |2,519 |2,607
City |2,590 |2,510 |2,146 |4,750 |2,110 |2,414 |2,318 |4,525
Colchester |3,484 |3,243 |2,588 |2,556 |2,224 |2,489 |3,760 |3,482
Coleraine |1,195 |1,218 |1,014 |1,354 |1,008 |937 |1,158 |1,088
Colwyn Bay |1,835 |1,699 |1,415 |1,247 |1,367 |1,369 |1,960 |1,739
Coventry |2,607 |2,439 |2,203 |1,993 |1,708 |1,895 |2,540 |2,560
Croydon |3,428 |3,076 |2,303 |2,120 |2,122 |2,070 |3,220 |3,077
Derby |2,643 |2,310 |1,978 |1,805 |1,892 |1,652 |2,475 |2,168
Doncaster |2,877 |2,389 |2,081 |1,989 |2,231 |1,949 |2,590 |2,464
Droitwich |3,023 |2,528 |2,275 |2,016 |2,182 |1,880 |2,672 |2,440
Dudley |2,738 |2,131 |1,889 |1,730 |1,871 |1,748 |2,475 |2,424
Dundee |2,693 |2,645 |2,152 |2,080 |1,996 |2,099 |2,372 |2,384
Edinburgh |3,095 |2,850 |2,494 |2,488 |2,184 |2,148 |2,988 |2,541
Enfield |3,583 |3,087 |2,459 |2,595 |2,367 |2,575 |3,263 |3,533
Euston |1,429 |1,493 |1,264 |22 |1,034 |1,081 |1,399 |184
Exeter |3,160 |2,771 |2,165 |1,886 |2,229 |2,341 |3,397 |3,049
Finchley |3,635 |3,124 |2,575 |2,287 |2,063 |2,342 |2,964 |3,070
Glasgow North |3,454 |3,129 |2,615 |2,526 |2,599 |2,492 |2,987 |2,818
Glasgow South |2,327 |2,172 |2,138 |1,840 |1,642 |1,569 |2,612 |2,160
Gloucester |3,532 |3,102 |2,746 |2,261 |2,305 |2,465 |3,417 |2,680
Greenock |2,516 |2,176 |1,975 |1,822 |2,038 |2,117 |2,436 |2,055
Grimsby |3,190 |2,657 |2,073 |1,924 |2,347 |2,254 |2,930 |2,840
Halifax |3,284 |2,646 |2,486 |2,147 |2,256 |2,318 |3,043 |2,652
Hammersmith |2,435 |2,363 |1,967 |2,043 |1,481 |1,660 |2,038 |2,807
Harlow |3,409 |2,981 |2,008 |1,917 |1,803 |2,009 |2,510 |2,333
Hastings |0 |684 |2,371 |2,180 |0 |554 |3,229 |3,251
Holborn |1,327 |1,287 |1,204 |0 |1,088 |958 |960 |130
Hull |2,739 |2,483 |2,164 |1,954 |1,939 |2,039 |2,746 |2,416
Ipswich |2,820 |2,463 |1,811 |1,634 |1,930 |2,141 |2,457 |2,211
Kennington |2,676 |2,173 |2,114 |2,025 |1,750 |1,916 |2,720 |2,436
Kingston |2,842 |2,956 |2,614 |2,523 |1,850 |2,157 |3,004 |2,875
Leeds |2,443 |2,394 |2,144 |2,004 |1,678 |1,971 |2,385 |2,417
Leicester |3,216 |2,879 |2,161 |2,072 |2,229 |2,121 |2,792 |2,536
Lisburn |1,682 |1,397 |1,320 |977 |1,026 |1,011 |1,212 |950
Liverpool |2,309 |2,217 |1,868 |1,761 |2,068 |1,790 |2,273 |2,531
Luton |2,574 |2,200 |2,320 |2,166 |1,510 |1,549 |2,708 |2,544
Lytham |3,243 |3,084 |2,596 |2,382 |2,472 |2,476 |3,167 |2,976
Maidenhead |3,033 |2,630 |2,189 |2,285 |1,806 |1,783 |2,581 |2,515
Maidstone |3,942 |3,358 |2,273 |2,011 |2,340 |2,520 |3,214 |2,885
Manchester |2,903 |3,358 |2,646 |2,452 |2,041 |2,223 |2,903 |2,774
Middlesbrough |3,156 |2,631 |2,158 |2,212 |2,102 |2,416 |2,825 |2,818
Newcastle Under Lyme |2,909 |2,806 |2,081 |2,064 |2,018 |2,089 |2,567 |2,653
Newcastle Upon Tyne |2,349 |2,041 |1,744 |1,624 |1,743 |1,681 |2,119 |2,061
Northampton |3,523 |3,051 |2,134 |1,957 |2,211 |2,219 |2,785 |2,544
Norwich |3,321 |2,769 |2,071 |1,815 |2,369 |2,524 |3,133 |2,676
Nottingham |2,793 |2,535 |2,155 |1,730 |1,752 |2,080 |2,909 |2,209
Oldham |2,814 |2,756 |2,196 |2,268 |2,132 |1,828 |2,661 |3,076
Orpington |3,572 |3,149 |2,383 |2,213 |1,921 |1,824 |3,752 |3,535
Oxford |2,907 |2,439 |2,370 |2,081 |1,813 |1,871 |2,684 |2,529
Peterborough |3,136 |3,325 |2,446 |2,191 |2,282 |2,600 |3,106 |2,797
Plymouth |4,019 |3,139 |2,671 |2,390 |2,765 |2,702 |3,955 |3,981
Poole |3,791 |2,941 |2,304 |2,116 |2,615 |2,360 |2,943 |3,583
Portsmouth |4,344 |3,409 |2,876 |2,641 |2,601 |2,260 |3,872 |3,688
Reading |3,303 |3,238 |2,728 |2,603 |1,906 |2,151 |3,137 |2,961
Redhill |2,946 |2,793 |2,301 |2,211 |1,933 |2,018 |2,913 |2,782
Romford |3,413 |3,071 |2,596 |2,210 |2,094 |2,104 |3,738 |3,697
Sheffield |2,941 |2,278 |2,188 |1,990 |1,763 |2,058 |2,425 |2,411
Shrewsbury |3,008 |2,579 |2,238 |2,198 |1,996 |2,018 |2,692 |2,787
Southampton |3,809 |3,105 |2,772 |2,255 |2,377 |2,437 |3,393 |2,999
Southend |3,839 |2,900 |2,179 |1,899 |1,993 |2,035 |3,701 |2,852
Staines |2,554 |2,755 |2,430 |2,145 |1,484 |2,141 |2,757 |2,648
Stratford |3,000 |2,216 |2,205 |2,573 |2,370 |1,774 |2,836 |3,499
Swansea |3,421 |3,135 |2,366 |2,141 |2,827 |2,728 |3,531 |3,022
Taunton |2,997 |2,440 |2,261 |2,343 |2,234 |2,256 |3,040 |3,390
Uxbridge |3,155 |2,865 |2,077 |1,923 |1,926 |2,002 |2,652 |2,515
Washington |2,904 |2,618 |2,040 |1,920 |2,153 |2,260 |2,742 |2,363
Wembley |3,093 |2,866 |2,369 |2,108 |2,101 |2,108 |2,848 |3,145
West End |4,160 |4,033 |3,113 |2,949 |2,948 |3,102 |3,245 |3,271
Westminster |2,414 |2,423 |2,054 |1,967 |1,592 |1,522 |2,039 |2,089
Wigan |2,819 |2,696 |2,082 |1,924 |1,943 |2,108 |2,473 |2,476
Woking |3,556 |3,412 |2,979 |2,767 |2,161 |2,070 |3,224 |3,514
Wolverhampton |2,015 |1,941 |1,688 |1,663 |1,470 |1,618 |2,123 |2,205
Other Receipts"
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will, provide a table disaggregating the series "other receipts" published in table 2B.4 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1993-94" into its principal components together with a table indicating how these figures compare with the equivalent series in the "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1992-93".
Mr. Portillo : A detailed breakdown of "other receipts" for 1992-93 and 1993-94 can be found in the general government column of table 6.9 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report" (FSBR). They comprise lines 6, 7, 10, 11, and 28 to 31. The 1992-93 figures can be directly compared with projections made in the same table in the 1992-93 FSBR. For the medium term, 1994-95 and beyond in the 1993-94 FSBR, 1993-94 and beyond in last year's FSBR, the figures are stylised projections.
Lloyd's Names
Mr. Adley : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the changes in tax treatment for Lloyd's invested premium, set out in his Budget, will have for names currently benefiting from capital gains tax indexation allowances under current arrangements.
Mr. Dorrell : Under my right hon. Friend the Chancellor's proposals gains and losses on assets held by Lloyd's names in a premiums trust fund will be brought within the computation of trading profits chargeable to income tax. Capital gains tax treatment, including the availability of indexation allowances, will therefore no longer apply.
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Taxpayers
Mr. Rooker : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the numbers of additional income tax payers in 1993-94 as a result of freezing rates of personal allowances ; and how much extra income tax will be raised as a result.
Mr. Dorrell : Compared with statutory indexation, the revenue yield from not changing personal allowances will be about £700 million in 1993-94, and about 300,000 more people will pay tax.
Gilt-edged Securities
Mr. Burns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about purchases of gilt-edged securities by individuals.
Mr. Nelson : Over recent months, there has been an increase in interest among personal investors in finding out about the gilt market and the investment opportunities in gilts.
The Government have decided to respond to that interest in two ways.
First, the Bank of England will be issuing on 5 April a new booklet providing clear information for the personal investor about the gilt market and how it works.
Secondly, the Department for National Savings will be improving the service it offers to personal investors through the National Savings Stock Register (NSSR), with effect from 7 April. The upper limit on the amount that may be invested in any one existing stock which can be bought on any one day will go up from £10,000 to £25,000. This is the first increase in this limit for 10 years. The upper limit on the nominal amount of stock bought in a public offering which personal investors may ask to have registered on the NSSR will also go up from £10,000 to £25,000. The increase in this limit is the first for over five
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years. The order to put these changes into effect was laid before the House on 18 March. And in future, DNS will arrange for all existing stocks to be available through its system.The costs of producing the booklet will fall to the Treasury's 1993-94 vote (class XVII, vote 1). Parliamentary approval for this new expenditure will be sought in a supplementary estimate for this vote. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure of £309,000 will be met by repayable advances from the contingencies fund. The resulting increases in the Treasury's cash limit and gross running costs limit will be fully offset by a reduction in the Bank of England's cash limit and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Customs and Excise
Mr. Channon : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the relocation of HM Customs and Excise headquarters work from the south-east to the north-west is proceeding to timetable ; and if he will make a statement.
Sir John Cope : To date 350 Customs and Excise headquarters posts have been relocated on schedule to Liverpool and 270 to Manchester from London and Southend. But organisational changes, efficiency savings and market testing are significantly reducing the size of the Department's central operations and particularly its ability to absorb surplus staff in Southend. In addition, turnover of the Department's staff at Southend is at an historic low and the planned changes would therefore lead to considerable compulsory redundancy. The board of Customs and Excise has therefore reviewed its relocation programme. The board and I have decided to rephase the programme by creating in Liverpool some 300 more posts in the next phase rather than the 850 extra posts previously planned.
This rephasing not only represents best value for money for the taxpayer but also strikes a balance between the need for jobs both in Southend and Liverpool and the business needs of Customs and Excise. The position in Southend will, however, be reviewed in four years' time, in 1997, in the light of the economic situation and job prospects in both Southend and Liverpool.
I recognise that this decision will be disappointing for the people of Merseyside and for the many organisations which have worked with Customs and Excise to make a success of relocation. But I do not believe that it would have been acceptable to have continued with a relocation programme which would have created new jobs in Liverpool but which in the changed circumstances would have left some hundreds of people in Southend facing compulsory redundancy. Customs and Excise will still be a major employer on Merseyside with more than 1, 000 staff and a major headquarters office.
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National Insurance and Income Tax
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total revenue raised from (a) national insurance contributions and (b) income tax in each year from 1978-79 to 1996-97 in (i) cash prices and (ii) 1978-79 prices.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 29 March 1993] : Available information on receipts of income tax and national insurance contributions is as follows :
£ billion
National Income Tax
Insurance
contributions<1>
Prices<2> Curren1978-7Current prices
1978-79
-----------------------------------------
1978-79 |10.1 |10.1 |18.7 |18.7
1979-80 |11.8 |10.1 |20.6 |17.7
1980-81 |14.0 |10.1 |24.3 |17.6
1981-82 |16.0 |10.6 |28.7 |19.0
1982-83 |18.9 |11.7 |30.4 |18.7
1983-84 |20.8 |12.3 |31.1 |18.3
1984-85 |22.3 |12.5 |32.5 |18.2
1985-86 |24.5 |13.0 |35.4 |18.8
1986-87 |26.5 |13.7 |38.5 |19.8
1987-88 |29.1 |14.2 |41.4 |20.2
1988-89 |32.4 |14.8 |43.4 |19.8
1989-90 |32.9 |14.1 |48.8 |20.8
1990-91 |35.0 |13.8 |55.3 |21.9
1991-92 |36.3 |13.5 |57.5 |21.3
1992-93<3> |37.4 |13.4 |56.5 |20.3
1993-94<3> |39.1 |13.6 |57.5 |20.1
1994-95<3> |44 |143/4|- |-
1995-96<3> |47 |15¬ |- |-
1996-97<3> |50 |153/4|- |-
<1> Excluding national insurance
surcharge.
<2> Using the GDP deflator at market
prices.
<3> 1993-94 Financial Statement and
Budget Report estimates or forecasts.
Households (Negative Equity)
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of households with negative equity in each region in each year since 1987.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 9 March 1993] : There is considerable variation in estimates of the number of households with negative equity, reflecting the uncertainties involved in such calculations. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 23 February to my hon. Friend the member for Hazel Grove (Sir Tom Arnold) by the Minister for Housing and Planning at column 522. The following table provides figures for the north and south calculated on the same basis, which excludes those who have increased their indebtedness since buying their house, and those who have since sold or had their house repossessed ; it is based on the DOE house price index. It would not be possible to produce a more detailed regional breakdown without disproportionate cost.
Column 231
The number of households with negative equity (
thousand)
|1988Q4|1989Q4|1990Q4|1991Q4|1992Q4
-------------------------------------------------
North |- |- |0 |20 |100
South |- |20 |190 |320 |930
|--- |--- |--- |--- |---
Total |- |20 |190 |340 |1,030
Note: The South is defined as Greater London,
South East, East Anglia, South West, East and
West Midlands. The North includes the rest of
the United Kingdom.
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NATIONAL HERITAGE
Sports Aid Foundation
Mrs. Lait : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what support his Department is giving to the Sports Aid Foundation Charitable Trust in 1992-93.
Mr. Brooke : We have paid to the Sports Aid Foundation Charitable Trust grant of £17,000 for the current year in respect of its administration costs. This is a new service to be provided within class XII, vote 5 of my Department's estimates provision for 1992-93. The full amount of the grant will be met from savings made from other sub-heads within vote 5.
Items in Lieu of Tax
Mr. Andrew Hargreaves : To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what offers in lieu of tax have been accepted or allocated since his last announcement on 26 March, Official Report, column 729 .
Mr. Brooke : Since my last announcement on 26 March, Official Report, column 729, I am pleased to inform the House of the acceptance of two offers in lieu of taxation. The offers consist of the Barrington archive together with a model gun ship which will satisfy £147,000 tax and a group of chattels from Nostell priory which will satisfy £30,820 tax.
The Nostell priory chattels will be allocated to the National Trust and will remain "in situ" at Nostell priory. This allocation is in accordance with the conditions on which the offer was made. No decision has yet been made on the allocation of the Barrington archive, or on the model gun ship.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
South Africa (Nuclear Devices)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information Her Majesty's Government have on the nuclear devices produced by South Africa in the 1970s.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 29 March 1993 to the honourable Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) at column 46 .
UAE
Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the British embassy in the United Arab Emirates made regarding the two men recently sentenced to have an arm and a leg amputated for theft.
Mr. Douglas Hogg : Her Majesty's Consul-General raised with the Fujairah authorities on 23 March the case of two men convicted of piracy and sentenced to have an arm and a leg amputated. He was informed that the case is going to appeal. A final decision on sentencing will be taken only then. While the sentences were passed in accordance with UAE federal criminal judicial procedure, the Government of the United Arab Emirates can be in no doubt as to our views on such punishments and on human rights generally.
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Embassy Staff
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy in relation to the appointment to the staff of British embassies of individuals with experience in manufacturing industry.
Mr. Goodlad : We attach great importance to strengthening the diplomatic service's links with industry and to our programme of interchanges with the private sector. It is also our policy to recruit as locally engaged commercial officers business men with appropriate experience, including those from the manufacturing industry.
Hong Kong
Mr. Parry : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many retired civil servants of the Hong Kong Government were registered at the latest available date.
Mr. Goodlad : There are some 41,000 retired Hong Kong Government civil servants.
HEALTH
Information Technology
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what was the total bill to the national health service for computer systems including software in the last 10 years ; what is the current projected budget for computers over the public expenditure planning period ; and what is the nature and cost of each child surveillance computer system for each region in the last 10 years ;
(2) what were the total amounts written off in respect of ineffective computer systems in each of the last three years per region.
Mr. Sackville : Expenditure incurred by health authorities in England on computers and related costs became separately identifiable in their annual accounts from 1983-84. Figures for the financial years 1983-84 to 1991-92, which cover all relevant expenditure incurred by the health authorities in their management and direct provision of all hospital and community health services (HCHS), are shown in the table.
Comprehensive information on health authorities' projected expenditure on computers, on the costs incurred on child surveillance computer systems, and on any ineffective computer systems is not available centrally.
Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS)-
Expenditure on computers and computing
|Revenue Purchase of|Revenue Maintenance|Revenue Contract |Capital Purchase of
|hardware and |of hardware and |Services |hardware and
|operational |software (including |operational
|software |licensing fees) |software
|£000 (cash) |£000 (cash) |£000 (cash) |£000 (cash)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1983-84 |6,311 |5,715 |2,980 |21,335
1984-85 |9,658 |7,469 |4,750 |35,523
1985-86 |12,414 |11,198 |5,618 |47,175
1986-87 |16,347 |15,365 |9,041 |65,025
1987-88 |19,657 |32,129 |7,576 |68,892
1988-89 |26,603 |28,893 |8,800 |62,465
1989-90 |41,357 |32,261 |13,091 |94,522
1990-91 |61,538 |44,216 |28,809 |119,233
1991-92 |49,871 |65,268 |35,281 |<1>31,710
l. of £103.5 million for office and information technology equipment. (Note 3 to the table refers).
Sources:
(a) Annual accounts (1983-84 to 1990-91) and annual financial returns (1991-92) of regional and district health
authorities in England and those of the special health authorities for the London postgraduate teaching hospitals.
(b) 1991-92 annual financial returns of the first wave NHS trusts.
Notes:
1. HCHS covers all services directly managed or accounted for by the health authorities and NHS Trusts including
hospital, community health, patient transport (ie ambulance), blood transfusion and other services.
2. Revenue "purchases" may include elements for rent and leasing. There is some discontinuity in the series of figures
for "maintenance" and "contract services" as since 1987-88, the latter category is intended to include only expenditure
incurred on contracts for data processing services.
3. The figures for 1991-92 (which are derived from annual financial returns rather than accounts) are provisional.
Following the introduction of capital asset accounting and changes to the analyses provided in annual financial returns
the figure for capital expenditure is not comparable to those for earlier years. It represents expenditure only on
mainframe information technology (IT) systems and excludes additional expenditure on computers within a total of some
£103.5 million for "office and IT equipment" and which is not separately identifiable centrally.
4. The table excludes the comparatively small costs incurred by family health services authorities and special health
authorities providing central services to the National Health Service.
Ethnic Minorities
Mr. Kevin Hughes : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the strategy for implementing "The Health of the Nation" is going to take into account the needs of people from black and ethnic minority groups.
Mr. Sackville : The White Paper "The Health of the Nation" (Cm. 1986) and the supporting key area handbooks, copies of which are available in the Library, identify particular health needs of people from black and ethnic minorities and indicate that health authorities and others must concentrate efforts on such needs if the White Paper's targets are to be achieved. I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bury, South (Mr. Sumberg) on 23 March at column 589, which stated that we have set up a task force to examine and recommend action at all levels in the Department, and in the national health service to ensure the application of current best practice in the provision of health services for black and ethnic minorities.
Column 236
Image Training
Ms Jowell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of the budget of the management training for women in the health service is to be spent on image training ; how many women this involves ; and at what levels in the health service.
Mr. Sackville : Individual positive image sessions are no longer available through the women in the national health service management development programme.
Prescription Charges
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received on evidence which compares chronic conditions related to the pre-payment certificate scheme.
Dr. Mawhinney : Prescription pre-payment certificates, which offer real savings to anyone who needs more than 14 prescribed items in a year, or more than five in a four-month period, are not linked to any medical conditions. They are available to anyone who is not entitled to free prescriptions on application, and payment of the required fee, to their local family health services authority.
Market Testing
Mr. Batiste : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which professional services within her Department have been subjected to market testing within the last 12 months and with what result ; and which will be subjected to market testing within the next 12 months.
Mr. Sackville : The citizens charter first report published Departments' plans for their initial market testing programmes covering the period to 30 September 1993. The Department's programme includes the following professional and related services : --internal audit
--the Department of Health library service
--certain statistical support functions
The market testing process for these services has begun.
Infertility Treatment
Mr. Gerrard : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amount of money has been allocated in each of the financial years ended March 1991, 1992 and 1993 by Waltham Forest health authority for the treatment of patients requiring IVF ; how many patients have been refused IVF because of insufficient funds on (a) primary cycle and (b) subsequent cycles ; and what is the current waiting time from referral to primary treatment and from primary to subsequent treatment.
Mr. Sackville : This information is not available centrally. The hon. Member may wish to write to Miss Delva Patman, chairman of Redbridge and Waltham Forest health authority, for details.
GP Fund Holders
Ms Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will place in the Library copies of letters and reports sent by the Audit Commission to her Department on fund holding in 1991-92.
Column 237
Dr. Mawhinney : Formal audit reports covering matters of major concern, which are reports in the public interest (RIPI), are issued under section 20(3) of the 1990 National Health Service and Community Care Act and are public documents. No RIPIs have been issued concerning general practitioner fundholding in 1991-92. Management letters, summarising matters arising during the course of an audit are routinely sent to each family health services authority. These are not available centrally.
Paracetemol Overdoses
Mr. Viggers : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the number of suicides and suicide attempts arising from overdoses of paracetemol in the latest period for which figures are available.
Mr. Sackville : The latest available figures for the number of people who have been recorded as having committed suicide and where paracetemol is mentioned in the records is shown in table 1. Table 2 combines the information provided in table 1 with statistics on the number of people where paracetemol is mentioned in the records and where it was undetermined whether death was accidentally or purposely inflicted. Information on the number of people who have attempted suicide by use of paracetemol is not available centrally. A recent article published by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, suggests that a significant number of the undetermined deaths are in fact suicides. A copy of this article is available in the Library.
Charlton J, Kelly S, Evans B, Jenkins R, Wallis R, (1992). Trends in suicide deaths in England and Wales. Population Trends, 69 10-16.
Table 2
Numbers of recorded deaths from suicide and undetermined whether
accidentally or purposely inflicted where paracetamol is mentioned in
the records. England and Wales, 1990, persons only
|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paracetamol |185 (13<1>)
Paracetamol Propoxyphene |5 (1<1>)
Paracetamol Propranolol |1
Paracetamol Prothiaden |1
Paracetamol Salicylate (NOS) |5 (1<1>)
Paracetamol Temazepam Tricyclic Anti Depressant (NOS) |1
Paracetamol Triazolam |1
Paracetamol Warfarin |1
Paracetamol Verapamil |1
<1> Number of deaths with mention of alcohol.
NOS Not otherwise stated.
Table 2
Numbers of recorded deaths from suicide and undetermined whether
accidentally or purposely inflicted where paracetamol is mentioned in
the records. England and Wales, 1990, persons only
|Total
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paracetamol |185 (13<1>)
Paracetamol Propoxyphene |5 (1<1>)
Paracetamol Propranolol |1
Paracetamol Prothiaden |1
Paracetamol Salicylate (NOS) |5 (1<1>)
Paracetamol Temazepam Tricyclic Anti Depressant (NOS) |1
Paracetamol Triazolam |1
Paracetamol Warfarin |1
Paracetamol Verapamil |1
<1> Number of deaths with mention of alcohol.
NOS Not otherwise stated.
The inclusion of a substance in this list does not imply that it is necessarily toxic. Where two or more substances
Column 238
are mentioned together the contribution, if any, of each to the death is unknown ; even where one substance is listed alone there may well be other factors with an important bearing on the death.Drug Prescribing
Mr. Alexander : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is her Department's timetable for introducing the new selected list regulations to cover 10 additional therapeutic categories of NHS medicines ; and what parliamentary procedures will be applicable for debating the new regulations before they are enacted.
Dr. Mawhinney : Orders to amend the list of drugs which cannot be prescribed under the national health service are made under the negative resolution procedure. They are normally made twice a year. We expect the next order to be made before the summer recess.
Blindness
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has on the incidence of blindness caused by unsatisfactory contact lenses ; and if she will make a statement.
Dr. Mawhinney : Three per cent. of the population in the United Kingdom use contact lenses. There are no available figures to indicate that using contact lenses may cause blindness. There are indications that although the risk is low, contact lens wearers do have an enhanced exposure to factors that can result in ocular infection and keratitis.
The Department, in co-operation with the professional bodies concerned, is producing information documents to help wearers of contact lenses and eye care practitioners.
Mental Health Review Tribunals
Mrs. Browning : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how members of mental health review tribunals are appointed ; what training they are given ; and if she will make a statement.
Mr. Yeo : The Mental Health Act 1983 provides for the appointment of legal, medical and lay members of mental health review tribunals (MHRTs) by the Lord Chancellor, after consultation with the Secretary of State for Health in respect of medical and lay members. Candidates are appointed on the basis of their professional background, qualifications and other relevant experience. Training includes courses provided by the Judicial Studies Board in tribunal practice generally ; MHRT induction training and peer conferences provided under the auspices of regional MHRT chairmen ; and observation of hearings. All training takes account of the detailed rules of procedure laid down in the MHRT Rules 1983, made under the 1983 Act by the Lord Chancellor.
Medicines
Dr. Marek : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the proposed new regulations to limit the number of medicines available to NHS patients in 10 new therapeutic categories will apply to hospital doctors.
Dr. Mawhinney : The regulations giving effect to the selected list scheme apply to prescriptions issued by hospital doctors for dispensing in community pharmacies, but not to prescriptions dispensed in hospital pharmacies.
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