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Written Answers to Questions
Monday 28 November 1994
TREASURY
Overseas Debt
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries has been cancelled since the introduction of the Trinidad terms in 1990.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries which has been cancelled since 1990 is £610 million.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries since 1990 has been rescheduled.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £1.7 billion.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by developing countries has been rescheduled since 1990.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by developing countries which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £3.4 billion.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to Britain by developing countries has been cancelled since the introduction of the Trinidad terms in 1990.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by developing countries which has been cancelled since 1990 is £712 million.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the countries of sub-Saharan Africa most in debt to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Nelson: The United Kingdom's biggest sub-Saharan debtors are Nigeria, Zambia, Sudan, Tanzania, Gabon and Congo.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the debt owed to Britain by the severely indebted low-income countries of sub- Saharan Africa has been cancelled since 1990.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Saharan Africa which has been cancelled since 1990 is £214 million.
Miss Lestor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the debt owed to Britain by the severely indebted low-income countries of sub- Saharan Africa has been rescheduled since 1990.
Mr. Nelson: The amount of official bilateral debt owed to Britain by severely indebted low-income countries of sub-Sarahan Africa which has been rescheduled since 1990 is £1.11 billion.
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Share Settlements Systems
Mr. Cousin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce legislation to control share settlements systems, with particular reference to control of the exposure of holdings by market makers.
Mr. Nelson: Securities settlements systems are already governed by legislation, notably the Financial Services Act 1986 and the Companies Acts. New, computerised securities settlements systems such as CREST will require changes to the existing law. The Treasury is preparing regulations under section 207 of the Companies Act 1989 to allow such systems to operate. These regulations will not affect existing arrangements regarding control of the exposure of holdings by market makers.
Agencies
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those agencies expected to take full pay delegation by 1 April 1995; and if he will identify separately all those agencies that already have delegated responsibility for pay.
Sir George Young: The following civil service organisations are already negotiating the pay and conditions of their own staff: Agricultural Development and Advisory Service
HM Customs and Excise
Defence Research Agency
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
Driving Standards Agency
Employment Service
Fire Service College
Forensic Science Service
Health and Safety Executive
HM Prison Service
Her Majesty's Stationery Office
Inland Revenue
HM Land Registry
Meteorological Office
Ordnance Survey
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre
Royal Mint
Scottish Prison Service
Social Security Benefits Agency
Social Security Contributions Agency
Social Security Information Technology Services Agency
Valuation Office Agency
Vehicle Inspectorate
The following are expected to do so from April 1995:
Child Support Agency
Highways Agency
Historic Scotland
Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce
Meat Hygiene Service
Paymaster
Service Children's Schools (North West Europe)
War Pensions Agency
Inland Revenue, Cumbernauld
Mr. Norman Hogg: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many full-time and part-time staff are currently employed at the Inland Revenue office in Cumbernauld.
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Sir George Young: The Inland Revenue employs 814 full-time and 260 part-time staff at the accounts office in Cumbernauld.
Imports
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will now bring up to date the import-home demand ratio as set out in ratio I in table 15.10 of the "Monthly Digest of Statistics" as published in 1987.
Mr. Nelson: It is the policy of the Central Statistical Office to publish and make available as much as possible of the data that it collects. Provisional data on import penetration will be included in the CSO's "Monthly Digest of Statistics" early in 1995.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when and in what form the summaries of the import penetration figures on an industry basis from the CSO-Taylor Neilson A6 new business series will be made available to hon. Members.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Copies of "UK Markets" produced by CSO and Taylor Nelson AGB will become available during December and will be placed in the House of Commons Library.
Lobbying Companies
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the guidelines issued by his Department to regulate relationships with lobbying companies.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 14 November 1994]: Conditions of service for the staff of my Department incorporate the general principles of conduct that require civil servants not to misuse information which they acquire in the course of their duties; not to make use of their official position to further their private interests or those of others; and not to receive gifts, hospitality or benefits of any kind from a third party, which might be seen to compromise their personal judgment or integrity.
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Guidance for Ministers is set out in "Questions of Procedure for Ministers".VAT (Fuel)
Mr. Battle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the increase in VAT on fuel from April 1995 on the inflation rate.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 24 November 1994]: An increase of 2.9 per cent. in the retail prices index component index for gas would have the effect of adding around 0.05 percentage points to the percentage change over 12 months in the all items retail prices index.
EU Budget
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the gross domestic product growth assumptions of each EU country on which his estimate of budget contributions was based.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The growth assumptions are for the Community as a whole and are based on real growth of 2.5 per cent. per annum and inflation of 2.5 per cent. per annum over the period 1995 to 1999.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what EC membership his calculation of budget contributions were based.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: Twelve.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the (a) net contributions per capital and (b) the gross contributions per capita in each EU country after the raising of the VAT ceiling is in force.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: I presume that the hon. Gentleman is referring to the proposed increase in the own resources ceiling.
The table shows each member state's net balance per capita to the 1993 Community budget.
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Member States' Net Balances 1993 Community Budget
|Contributions |Net balance per
|Receipts |(billion ecu) |Net |capita (ecu)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belgium |2.4 |2.5 |-0.1 |-10
Denmark |1.2 |1.6 |-0.4 |-70
Germany |19.1 |7.2 |+11.8 |+150
Greece |1.0 |5.1 |-4.1 |-410
Spain |5.2 |8.3 |-3.1 |-80
France |11.5 |10.5 |+1.0 |+20
Ireland |0.6 |2.9 |-2.3 |-700
Italy |10.3 |8.7 |+1.5 |+30
Luxembourg |0.2 |0.4 |-0.2 |-600
Netherlands |4.0 |2.7 |+1.3 |+90
Portugal |0.9 |3.4 |-2.5 |-240
United Kingdom |7.6 |4.5 |+3.1 |+50
Allocation not applicable or available |- |6.3
Total |64.0 |64.2
Source:
European Court of Auditors' Report for 1993.)
Notes:
+= net contributor
-= net recipient
"Allocation not applicable or available" refers mainly to development aid and administrative expenditure for the other
institutions.
Future estimates would depend on what specific assumptions are made about the pattern of the European
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Community spending. I gave a broad assessment of likely developments in reply to the hon. Member for Moray (Mrs. Ewing) on 24 November, Official Report, columns 353 54.Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what assumptions about the sums agreed for the EU budget for each of the next five years, his assessment of the British net contribution in his letter to hon. Members was based.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: I presume that the hon. Member's intention was to ask on what assumptions my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer's assessment was based.
My right hon. and learned Friend's assessment was based on the assumption that the European Community budget will fully utilise the own resources ceilings in each of the years 1995 to 1999. Assuming 2.5 per cent. annual inflation in the Community, 2.5 per cent. annual growth in real Community GNP, and an exchange rate of £1=1.30 ecu, the figures are as follows:
Own resources ceiling (EC12, assuming increases agreed at Edinburgh) £ billion 1995 |1996|1997|1998|1999 ------------------------------ 55.5 |59.1|63.1|67.4|71.4
The own resources ceiling is a limit on the revenue the Community can call up from the member states, not an entitlement to spend or a target for spending. The Community budget is negotiated annually within the framework of the financial perspective. It is therefore more than possible that in practice annual budgets will be smaller than assumed for the purposes of this assessment.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what assumptions of the allocations to Britain from the structural funds on which his estimate of the net United Kingdom contributions to the EC budget were based.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 25 November 1994]: The assumption underlying the latest forecast of the United Kingdom net contributions is that our receipts from the structural funds will average around 8.6 per cent. per year. The United Kingdom's allocation is expected to decline slowly over the period of the forecast reflecting the changes in the allocation of the structural funds agreed at Edinburgh.
TRANSPORT
Christmas Expenditure
Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much public money will be spent on entertaining, Christmas decorations and other festive activities this Christmas season by his Department and Government agencies answerable to his Department; and of this sum how much will be spent in Ministers' private offices and official residences.
Dr. Mawhinney: Disaggregated information of this nature is not available. Such costs are covered by the entertainment expenditure for this Department, which is published in the annual report, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
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Mr. Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many official Christmas cards he and his Ministers intend to send in 1994; how much these cards will cost (a) to buy, (b) to post and (c) in staff time to sign, address and place in envelopes; and if he will place in the Members' Library a sample copy of the official Christmas card he intends to send this year.
Dr. Mawhinney: This Department's Ministers intend to send 700 official Christmas cards at an anticipated cost of £668 to buy. Postage will cost approximately £175.00. The information regarding the cost in staff time to sign, address and place the cards in envelopes is not available.
I do not plan to place a sample copy of my official Christmas card in the Members' Library.
Driving Licences
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) which European countries currently do not have a system of photographs on driving licences;
(2) if he will list those European countries that currently have a system of photographs on driving licences, and indicate which of those countries have a written constitution.
Mr. Norris: All other member states of the European Union have driving licences with photographs. Most member states have some form of written instructions or legislation which could be regarded as a constitution.
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the deadline for submissions on the consultation document "Photographs on Driving Licences"; and when the decision was taken to include photographs on driving licences.
Mr. Norris: The closing date for receiving comments as part of the consultation exercise is 30 November. We issued a press notice on 4 November 1991 announcing that photographs would be included on the British driving licence.
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library the study into the main legal, privacy and administrative issues, referred to on page 1 of his Department's consultation document "Photographs on Driving Licences".
Mr. Norris: The study report is commercial in confidence. But I have arranged for a copy of the management summary to be placed in the Library.
A27
Mr. Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the figures available in respect of the origins and destinations and types of vehicles using the existing A27 from Polegate to Lewes on dates subsequent to 1 January 1990; what are the figures available in respect of projections made for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010 in respect of the origins, destinations and types of vehicles using (i) the existing A27 and (ii) the proposed improved A27; what feasibility studies are being made in the use of tunnelling in connection with the proposed new A27; and when these are due to be published.
Mr. Watts: This is an operational matter for the Highways Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to the hon. Member.
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Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Malcolm Wicks, dated 28 November 1994:The Minister for Railways and Roads, Mr. Watts, has asked me to write to you in reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the proposed improvement of the A27 between Lewes and Polegate in East Sussex as the information requested relates to operational matters of the Highways Agency.
East Sussex County Council carried out traffic counts on the A27 and the surrounding road network during 1993 to enable us to compile information on the origins and destinations of vehicles using the A27 in the area. The raw data has been submitted to the Agency but it has not yet been analysed. A considerable amount of work will need to be done to translate the figures into `readable' facts. I am therefore unable to supply you with the information you requested at this stage. I will arrange for it to be sent to you as soon as possible, but this is unlikely to be before the middle of next
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year. The data from this survey will be used to inform the detailed design stage.Similarly, there are no future year projects available in the form requested. However, Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT) flows have been predicted using 1990 traffic survey data. The attached table sets out the low growth (LG) and high growth (HG) figures for the A27 with and without the proposed improvement for the years you requested.
A proposal for a tunnel south of Mount Caburn was rejected as uneconomic and not without environmental problems in the preferred route statement issued in July 1993.
We have however, undertaken to look at measures to reduce the impact of the preferred route on the surrounding area during the detailed design stage. This will include considering alternative means of crossing the Glynde Reach at a lower level than the bridge included in the preferred route proposals. I am afraid it is too early to say when this work will be completed.
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