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Nuclear Safety Research
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution is being made by the Atomic Energy Authority to the European Community's nuclear safety research project, the PHEBUS programme, at the Cadarache nuclear research centre in France ; and how this involvement will assist in evaluating potential safety problems with the Sizewell B nuclear plant.
Mr The programme is part funded by the European Community with additional funding from other countries. The Atomic Energy Authority is participating as part of the nuclear safety R and D programme sponsored by the Health and Safety Executive. The PHEBUS programme is not expected to produce results which can be used in the production of the safety case for Sizewell B.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the contribution made to nuclear safety by research conducted at the Falcon facility at Winfrith by the Atomic Energy Authority.
Mr. Eggar : The FALCON experimental facility at the Atomic Energy Authority's Winfrith site has been used to produce data to validate computer codes employed in the modelling of some aspects of the behaviour of a nuclear reactor in the unlikely event of a nuclear accident causing severe damage to the fuel.
Atomic Energy Authority Police
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates the police committee of the Atomic Energy Authority met representatives of the Atomic Energy Police Federation, and the representative organisations of other ranks, to discuss matters of common interest over the past years.
Mr. Eggar : There are no meetings between theAtomic Energy Authority Constabulary--AEAC--Police
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Committee, which is a management advisory body, and representatives of the AEAC Federation. However, management-- chief constable, deputy chief constable and a representative from the AEA's corporate personnel service--meets Federation representatives to discuss matters affecting the force at the AEAC joint consultative committee, which meets twice a year--most recently on 12 May 1993. There are also numerous other formal and ad hoc opportunities for Federation representatives to discuss matters affecting their members with the chief constable, other senior AEA managers and senior AEAC officers.Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will detail the numbers, by rank and location, of the Atomic Energy Authority police since 1979.
Mr. Eggar : The current strength of the Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary (AEC) is 505 compared with 516 in 1979. More detailed information on the strength, structure and location of the AEAC is published in the AEAC chief constable's annual report and the "Constabulary Almanac Official Register 1993". Copies of the 1991 annual report are in the Library of the House and I am arranging for copies of the 1992 annual report to be placed there when it is published in July. The precise operational deployment of constabulary at British Nuclear Fuels plc and Atomic Energy Authority sites is restricted information.
Mr. Mackinlay : To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what dates Ministers in his Department or the Department of Energy held a formal meeting with the Atomic Energy Police Federation during the past five years.
Mr. Eggar : There have been no meetings between Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary Federation representatives and DTI or Department of Energy Ministers during the past five years.
Internal Market
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what additional help is being given to businesses to help them take advantage of the internal market.
Mr. Needham : The "Business in Europe" initiative was launched on 25 January 1993 to encourage United Kingdom companies to take advantage of the single market. Consultations were held with businesses and multiplier organisations to identify the most common problems faced by exporters. "Business in Europe" aims to provide a service which supplies only relevant information. It focuses on practical advice for exporters, information on the rules and opportunities in the single market and help in fighting barriers to trade. Access to the service is by a single 24-hour, seven-day- week, hotline number 0272 444 888, giving access to all of the DTI's overseas trade services. A range of promotional literature is available through the hotline, examples of which are available in the House of Commons Library. In addition, 20 export promoters, seconded from senior posts in industry, will be working in western Europe.
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Manufactured Imports
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the level of imports in manufactured goods from European Community countries (a) in 1987 and (b) in 1992.
Mr. Needham : In 1987, the value of United Kingdom imports of manufactured goods from the European Community was £39.8 billion. In 1992 it was £53.3 billion.
Japan
Mr. Callaghan : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the current trade deficit with Japan ; and how much of the deficit is accounted for by manufactured goods.
Mr. Needham : In 1992, the United Kingdom had a crude deficit in visible trade with Japan of £5.22 billion. The deficit in manufactured goods was £5.45 billion.
US-Germany Telecommunications Treaty
Mr. Roger Evans : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps Her Majesty's Government are taking or proposing to take to make representations to the German Government in respect of the US-Germany telecommunications treaty ; if he will challenge the legality of the same in the European Court ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Needham [holding answer 25 June 1993] : Like all other member states, Germany is bound by European Community law. The European Commission has indicated that it is considering the legality of the action of the German Government in refusing to apply either article 29 of the Utilities Directive or the recent Council regulation implementing retaliatory sanctions against the United States in the field of Government procurement.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Ainger : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the Government's policy on whether return of waste agreements between British Nuclear Fuels plc and overseas customers should entail substitution of equivalent amounts of radiocativity.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 23 June 1993] : I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 7 June 1993, Official Report, column 161 .
Coal Imports
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the recent trend in coal imports and on the prospects for the remainder of 1993.
Mr. Eggar : The level of coal imports has been declining since the middle of last year. Imports figures for 1993 are still subject to revision, but are estimated to be about 10 per cent. down on the comparable period of 1992.
Oil and Gas
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 12 May, Official Report, column 475, what arrangements have been made to obtain authorisation for access to information in oil and gas archives by the successful bidder.
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Mr. Eggar : My Department has already received the necessary written authorisations.
NATIONAL FINANCE
Departmental Speeches
Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library copies of the speeches given by Mr. Leonard Beighton of the Board of the Inland Revenue and Mrs. Valerie Strachan of Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to the Financial Times conference on international tax on 14 and 15 June.
Mr. Dorrell : Copies of the speeches given by Mr. Beighton and Mrs. Strachan are being placed in the Library.
Corporation Tax
Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much corporation tax was repaid in each year since 1986-87.
Mr. Dorrell : The information requested is as follows :
9 Corporation Tax Repayments Year |Amount (£ million) --------------------------------------------------------- 1986-87 |619 1987-88 |627 1988-89 |733 1989-90 |1,217 1990-91 |1,762 1991-92 |2,609 1992-93 |3,226
Civil Service Unions
Mr. Skinner : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent meetings he has held with civil service trade unions to discuss industrial relations.
Mr. Dorrell : I, and other Treasury Ministers, meet civil service trade unions to discuss a variety of issues, where appropriate. I last met representatives from the civil service trade unions in January to discuss pay.
Income Tax
Mr. Denzil Davies : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue change in a full year at 1993-94 income levels and assuming existing levels of personal allowances of replacing the present rates of income tax with a structure in which (a) the first £2,500 incurred tax at 20 per cent., (b) £2,500 to £30,000 at 25 per cent., (c) £30,000 to £40,000 at 30 per cent., (d) £40,000 to £50,000 at 35 per cent., (e) £50,000 to £60,000 at 40 per cent., (f) £60,000 to £75,000 at 45 per cent., (g) £75,000 to £100,000 at 50 per cent. and (h) over £100,000 at 60 per cent.
Mr. Dorrell : The estimated revenue cost in a full year at 1993-94 income levels from imposition of the specified regime is £420 million. This does not allow for any behavioural effect that might result from such changes to the tax system and does not include capital gains tax.
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Contingencies Fund
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions since 1979 in which use of the contingencies fund has been allowed in connection with expenditure over £200,000 on the establishment of a new statutory body before the relevant legislation has received Royal Assent.
Mr. Portillo : It appears from readily available information that there has been one advance from the contingencies fund since 1979 of more than £200,000 in connection with the establishment of a new statutory body before the relevant legislation has received Royal Assent : this was to the Department for Education in March 1993 in respect of the School Curriculum and Assessment Authority (SCAA). The use of the fund was fully consistent with the criteria concerning expenditure on new services set out in "Government Accounting".
Corporation Tax
Mr. Milburn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 9 June, Official Report, column 258, what was the total turnover, profits and corporation tax liability of the largest 100 United Kingdom companies in each year since 1987 measured in (a) current prices and (b) 1987 prices.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 22 June 1993] : Latest readily available figures covering five years for turnover, profit before tax, and corporation tax liability of the 100 largest United Kingdom companies and company groups, based on turnover in their latest accounts, are as follows :
At current prices
£ billion
|Turnover |Profit before tax<1>|Corporation tax
|liability<2>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |<3>- |<3>- |5.2
1988 |360 |34 |5.2
1989 |420 |41 |6.2
1990 |490 |36 |5.8
1991 |500 |32 |5.4
1992 |510 |30 |<4>-
At constant 1987 prices
£ billion
|Turnover |Profit before tax<1>|Corporation tax
|liability<2>
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1987 |<3>- |<3>- |5.2
1988 |340 |33 |4.9
1989 |370 |37 |5.5
1990 |390 |29 |4.7
1991 |380 |25 |4.1
1992 |370 |22 |<4>-
<1> Worldwide activity reported in published accounts.
<2> After relief for foreign tax.
<3> Not readily available.
<4> Not yet available.
Tax Exemptions (Overseas Governments)
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the gain to the Exchequer in each of the years 1991- 92 and 1992-93 of tax exemption granted by overseas Governments to the income, profits
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and gains of the United Kingdom Government and United Kingdom Government bodies arising within the jurisdiction of those overseas Governments.Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 25 June 1993] : The United Kingdom Government are exempted from tax in all of the jurisdictions in which it invests. The amount of this exemption is of the order of some £300 million per annum.
Ms Harman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide an estimate of the cost to the Exchequer in each of the years 1991- 92 and 1992-93 of granting tax exemption to the income, profits and gains of Governments, foreign states and integral bodies of foreign Governments arising in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 25 June 1993] : Figures are not available of the total amount of tax which is not brought into charge because of sovereign immunity from taxation. However, income tax on investment income repaid on sovereign immunity grounds amounted to approximately £164 million in 1991-92 and £116 million in 1992- 93. In addition relief was allowed at source of up to £5 million each year.
Exchange Gains and Losses
Mr. Mandelson : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the direct effect on revenue in the years 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 of the introduction of the clauses in chapter II part II of the Finance (No. 2) Bill had they come into effect from 6 April.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 25 June 1993] : The Exchequer effects would be highly uncertain and would depend on movements in exchange rates and the location and volume of borrowing.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Government Documents
41. Ms Quin : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on the work of HMSO and the system of making Government documents available to the general public.
Mr. David Davis : In its role of Government publisher, HMSO maintains a distribution network comprising its own retail bookshops in six major cities, some 40 appointed agents throughout the United Kingdom, and a mail order service from its publications centre in London.
Citizens Charter
42. Mr. Hargreaves : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when he next intends to visit Birmingham to discuss citizens charter issues.
Mr. Waldegrave : I shall be visiting Birmingham on 5 July to take part in the second citizens charter forum.
The first forum, one of a series of eight to be held thoroughout the country to discuss local implementation of the charter, was held in Manchester on 21 June and was attended by 230 managers of local public service organisations.
44. Mrs. Helen Jackson : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what principal conclusions he has
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drawn from experience of the citizens charter programme to date ; and how the lessons are being applied for future charters.Mr. David Davis : Implementing charter principles is bringing about real improvements in public services. The principles will continue to be applied to all public services in the future.
Market Testing
43. Mr. Ian Bruce : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many Departments have introduced market testing of their activities ; and what assessment his office has made of the annual savings from this policy.
Mr. Waldegrave : In November 1992, I announced that market-testing programmes of 36 departments, covering all the main Departments and most small ones. These programmes, for the period up to September 1993, amount to £1.5 billion, employing 44,000 staff.
I shall report on the results of these programmes after the end of the period ; but returns from departments indicate that in previous years savings from market testing have typically been around 25 per cent. of the original cost, even when the activity has remained in-house.
Public Appointments
Mr. George Howarth : To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the names, occupations and current employers of those who currently hold positions in each public body to which he makes appointments ; if he will make a statement on the considerations taken into account when making such appointments ; and if he will list details of the posts and salaries of allowances payable which have changed since the publication of "Public Bodies 1992".
Mr. David Davis [holding answer 25 June 1993] : The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster makes appointments to the following non-departmental public bodies :
The Civil Service Appeal Board ; Agricultural and Food Research Council ; Economic and Social Research Council ; Medical Research Council ; Natural Environment Research Council ; Science and Engineering Research Council ; and the Advisory Board for the Research Councils.
The members of the Civil Service Appeal Board are as follows : Mr. P. Adams, OBE ; Mr. A. Bennett, MBE ; Mr. M. S. Buckley ; Mrs. C. Coltman ; Mr. K. Crowley ; Miss P. Downs (Chairman) ; Mr. F. W. Edmunds, BEM ; Miss B. Findlay ; Mr. M. T. Foulkes ; Mr. W. M. Francis, BEM ; Mr. J. H. Gracey, CB ; Mr. T. W. Hall ; Mr. G. Harpin ; Mr. R. M. Hastie-Smith, CB ; Mr. P. D. Jones (Deputy Chairman) ; Miss J. Kelley, CB ; Mr. R. W. King, BEM ; Mr. N. F. Ledsome, CB ; Mrs. S. P. Maunsell ; Mr. N. E. A. Moore ; Mr. R. W. Morgan, MBE ; Mrs. M. Morrison, BEM ; Mr. J. Nicholson ; Mr. P. Palmer ; Mr. J. Pennington ; Mr. J. Renton, MBE ; Mr. K. Richards ; Mr. M. Ridout ; Mr. J. Roberts, CB ; Ms S, Scott-Anderson ; Mrs. A. B. Sloman ; Mr. A. Smith ; Mr. A. Stem ; Mr. J. W. Stevens, CB, (Deputy Chairman) ; Mr. N. Tout, BEM .
The members of the Research Councils are as follows :
Agricultural and Food Research Council :
Professor T. L. Blundell (Secretary and Deputy Chairman) ; Dr. P. J. Bunyan ; Mr. C. R. Cann ; Professor E. C. D. Cocking ; Professor J. R. Coggins ; Sir Sam Edwards ; Professor W. P. T. James, CBE ; Mr. D. F. R. George, OBE ; Sir M. Alastair Grant (Chairman) ; Mr. E. Gill ; Professor R. M. Hicks, OBE ; Professor G. Horn ; Mr. R. Knapman ;
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Professor J. R. Krebs ; Professor C. J. Leaver ; Dr. T. Little ; Mr. K. J. MacKenzie ; Professor T. A. Mansfield ; Mr. J. L. C. Provan ; Mr. G. T. Pryce ; Dr. D. W. F. Shannon ; Professor W. V. Shaw. Economic and Social Research Council :Ms J. Abramsky ; Dr. D. Anderson ; Professor M. Anderson ; Professor J. M. Ashworth ; Professor J. Beaumount ; Professor V. Bruce ; Dr. W. Daniel ; Mrs. E. J. Filkin ; Mr. J. Fox ; Mr. N. Glass ; Miss C. Hancock ; Dr. J. Harbison ; Professor D. Hargreaves ; Professor A. Hay ; Professor H. J. Newby (Chairman) ; Professor D. Kavanagh ; Professor S. J. Nickell ; Mr. G. T. Pepper ; Mrs. M. Tuck, CBE.
Medical Research Council :
Professor I. V. Allen ; Professor D. T. Baird ; Mr. R. Bauman ; Sir Colin Berry ; Professor A. M. Breckenridge ; Mr. K. C. Calman ; Sir Michael Carlisle ; Dr. J. T. Carter ; Dr. P. Doyle ; Professor C. R. W. Edwards ; Professor J. G. Evans ; Dr. R. E. Kendall ; Sir Aaron Klug ; Miss E. Nicholson, MP ; Professor J. R. Pattison ; Professor M. Peckham ; Sir David Plastow (Chairman) ; Sir Dai Rees (Deputy Chairman and Secretary) ; Professor Sir Michael Rutter ; Professor Sir David Weatherall.
Natural Environment Research Council :
Professor J. R. L Allen ; Dr. P. J. Bunyan ; Professor W. Chaloner ; Lord Chorley ; Professor C. D. Curtis ; Dr. D. J. Fisk ; Dr. I. Graham-Bryce ; Professor M. P. Hassell ; Professor B. J. Hoskins ; Professor J. Knill (Chairman) ; Professor P. S. Liss ; Dr. R. Jan Pentreath ; Professor D. A. Ritchie ; Mr. D. G. M. Roberts ; Dr. G. W. Robinson ; Dr. O Rogne ; Professor J. I. Sprent ; Professor S. A. Thorpe ; Professor D. S. Wood.
Science and Engineering Research Council :
Professor Philip Burke ; Mr. D. Davis ; Professor S. Donnachie ; Sir Gerard Fairtlough CBE ; Dr. K. Gray CBE ; Professor R. Hester ; Dr. G. Higginson ; Dr. S. Iverson ; Dr. A. Ledwith ; Professor S. Mason ; Sir R. Oxburgh KBE ; Sir Mark Richmond (Chairman) ; Dr. G. W. Robinson ; Professor J. Stuart ; Professor J. Thomas ; Professor D. Wallace ; Professor Arnold Wolfendale ; Professor R. E. Smallman CBE ; Mr. J. Spiers.
Advisory Board for the Research Councils :
Professor Sir Eric Ash CBE ; Professor T. L. Blundell ; Professor D. A. Currie ; Dr. A. Ganguly ; Professor R. L. Gardner ; Professor M. Hart ; Professor J. L. Knill ; Professor H. J. Newby ; Sir David Phillips ; Sir Dai Rees ; Sir Mark Richmond ; Professor I. A. Shanks.
It is not our practice to provide details about occupations and current employers. Such information is a personal matter for individual members. However, when making appointments, my right hon. Friend follows the standard guidance that a part-time member of a public board should not hold any outside appointments which would be incompatible with devoting due time and attention to public duties. Risk of conflict between a member's private interests and the requirements of the public service are required to be minimised and seen to be so.
Members of the Civil Service Appeal Board are appointed on the basis of their past experience of civil service personnel matters. The daily fee changed on 1 April 1993 to £221 for the chairman and £113 for others.
Members of the research councils are appointed on the basis of their expertise and experience in the field to which the research council relates. The current position regarding the remuneration of members of the research councils is as follows :
Agricultural and food research council
Chairman : £12,270
Deputy : £67,482
Members : £4,600
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Economic and social research councilChairman : £62,504
Members : £4,600
Medical research council
Chairman : £6,140
Deputy : £98,328
Members : £4,600
Natural environment research council
Chairman : £64,787
Members : £4,600
Science and engineering research council
Chairman : £82,925
Members : £4,600-£6,140
Advisory board for the research councils
Chairman : £69,470
Members : £4,600
DEFENCE
Gulf War (Illness)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what complaints his Department has received from service men who participated in Operation Granby in the Gulf in 1991 in regard to illness arising from exposure to (a) toxic chemicals from oil well fires and oil slicks and (b) uranium inhaled or ingested from uranium tipped shells fired in battle.
Mr. Hanley : No complaints of this nature have been reported by unit medical officers. Additionally, the armed forces medical services are not aware of any incidence of illness among service personnel, which could be attributed to either oil-well fires and oil slicks, or the inhalation or ingestion of depleted uranium from uranium tipped shells fired in battle.
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