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Growth Rates
20. Mr. Mans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the growth rates over the past two years for each EC country; and if he will list them, with the least growth first.
Mr. Nelson: The UK achieved the highest growth rate of any major EU economy over the last two-years for which full year data are available. EU member countries' growth rates over the two-year period 1992 to 1993 were as set out:
|Percentage
|change
|real GDP
|1992-93
----------------------------------
Finland |-6.4
Sweden |-4.0
Spain |-0.7
Germany |-0.3
Belgium |0.1
Italy |0.1
France |0.5
Portugal |0.8
Greece |0.8
Austria |1.4
Netherlands |1.6
UK |1.6
Luxembourg |2.2
Denmark |2.7
Ireland |7.1
Monetary Conditions
21. Ms Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the European Finance Ministers to discuss monetary conditions; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: European Finance Ministers discuss monetary conditions as a matter of course in meetings of the Council of Economic and Finance Ministers of the European Union--ECOFIN. There is strong agreement that, to sustain the recovery, it will be necessary to maintain progress towards price stability. This commitment to sustaining low inflation depends to a large extent on the conduct of macroeconomic and structural policies.
Inward Investment
22. Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has that the business taxation regime has encouraged inward investment into Britain; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young: A business takes a large number of factors into account when deciding on the location of international investment, and it is difficult to isolate the role of tax or any other factor. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom has the lowest rate of tax amongst the major industrial countries. This is one of the reasons why, in 1993, the UK attracted more than 40 per cent. of inward investment into the European Union from both the USA and Japan.
Non-aid Debt
23. Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to write off non-aid debt
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from developing countries; and if he will make a statement.Mr. Nelson: The Government have sought agreement for their Trinidad terms proposals launched by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in 1990. In December 1994, the Paris Club group of official creditors agreed to implement these terms in full. These offer reductions in the stock of eligible debt at a benchmark of 67 per cent. to the poorest, most severely indebted countries on a case by case basis.
Demand
24. Sir David Knox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the level of total demand in the economy.
Mr. Aitken: Total final demand rose by 0.5 per cent. in the third quarter of 1994 to a level of 3.8 per cent. above its previous peak in the second quarter of 1990.
Trade Figures
25. Mr. Waterson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present trend in trade figures; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken: The United Kingdom's recent trade performance has been much better than expected: latest figures show a current account surplus, the first since 1987; and exports growing at 13 per cent., more than double the rate for imports. Prospects remain excellent. The CBI reports export optimism for the year ahead at its highest level since 1973.
Job Creation
Mrs. Roe: To as the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the effect of the Budget on job creation.
Mr. Aitken: The Budget contained a package of measures, estimated to cost £700 million in a full year, to improve work incentives and reduce the cost to employers of taking on unemployed people. The Budget also underlined the Government's commitment to sound public finances and low inflation, which are necessary for a sustainable recovery and falling unemployment.
Fraud
Mr. Nigel Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken or intends to take to enable the Inland Revenue to exchange information with the Department of Social Security and other agencies to assist in the detection of fraud; and if he will make a statement.
Sir George Young: The Government's determination to detect fraud is reflected in existing arrangements for the Inland Revenue to share information with other Government Departments relevant to specific risks. Under plans announced in the Budget, the Inland Revenue will be exchanging more information with Customs and Excise, but the effectiveness of the inland Revenue's own work is largely dependent on its ability to obtain information from taxpayers. This information will be
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given more freely if taxpayers are assured that it will be treated as confidential. The need to provide privacy is extremely important to the Inland Revenue because it encourages openness by taxpayers in providing the fullest information on which the Revenue can base assessments of tax.Foreign Vehicles
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a tax on foreign vehicles entering the United Kingdom.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: My right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has no such plans.
Redundancy Terms
Mr. McAllion: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will place a copy of the Treasury document, "Information on Outplacement Services and Redundancy Terms", in the Library; (2) what are the redundancy terms for Treasury civil servants contained in the documents "Information on Outplacement Services and Redundancy Terms".
Mr. Nelson: Redundancy terms for Treasury civil servants are contained in the document "Information on Outplacement Services and Redundancy Terms". They apply, under the civil service compensation scheme formerly section 10 of the principal civil service pensions scheme, to permanent civil servants with more than one year's service. These terms operate throughout the civil service and are not unique to the Treasury. Details of the redundancy terms can be found in the civil service compensation scheme 1994 which was laid before Parliament on 20 December 1994.
I have arranged for a copy of the document "Information on Outplacement Services and Redundancy Terms" to be placed in the House Library.
EU Economic and Social Committee
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the annual cost of the United Kingdom contribution to the Economic and Social Committee of the European Union in the current year and over the past five years.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Member states contributions are made in respect of the whole of the Community budget, and not to particular parts. On the assumption that our overall financing share, after abatement, applies equally to all parts of the budget then, as a matter of arithmetic, the United Kingdom's contributions to the Economic and Social Committee for 1995 and the previous five years are as set out:
|Implied
|Economic |United Kingdom |United
|and Social |share of Community|Kingdom
|Committee |revenue |contributions
Year |annual cost |(after abatement) |to the ESC
|£ million<1> |Percentage<2> |£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1990 |31,838,027 |15.0 |4,775,704
1991 |33,776,369 |11.7 |3,951,835
1992 |37,881,157 |12.5 |4,735,145
1993 |43,554,261 |12.1 |5,270,066
1994<3> |57,835,872 |11.6 |6,708,961
1995<3> |57,412,830 |12.7 |7,291,429
<1> The annual costs for 1990-1993 are outturn figures. For 1994, the figure is taken from the
1994 adopted Budget. For 1995, the figure is taken from the draft general budget.
<2> Calculated from the revenue tables for the adopted budgets for the years in question.
<3> Includes appropriations for the joint organisational structure with the Committee of the
Regions.
Unearned Income
Mr. Mandelson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total unearned income of the top 1 per cent. of tax payers for each year since 1990 91 divided into income from (a) shares and securities, (b) bank and interest-bearing accounts, (c) building societies accounts and deposits, (d) rents, (e) pensions and annuities and (f) other.
Sir George Young: Estimates for the top 1 per cent. of taxpayers are given in the table for 1991 92 and 1992 93, the latest year for which a breakdown of unearned income is available. Income from pensions is not included in the table as this is classified as earned rather than unearned.
£ billion
|Bank and
|building |Other
|society |unearned
|Dividends|interest |Rents |income
------------------------------------------------------------
1991-92 |3.6 |1.9 |0.5 |1.8
1992-93 |3.0 |1.1 |0.5 |1.8
World Economic Forum
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals in regard to the financing of environmental protection and environmentally friendly manufacturing have been put forward by Her Majesty's Government to the world economic forum in Davos in Switzerland, which started on 26 January.
Economic Growth
Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average growth of the economy between the years February 1974 to 1979 and 1979 to date; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Nelson: Average growth in real GDP--gross domestic product at constant factor cost--between the
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years 1974 to 1979 is 2 per cent. Between 1979 and the present day, average growth in GDP is 1.9 per cent.Public Bodies (Running Costs)
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Registry of Friendly Societies running costs limits in 1994 95.
Mr. Nelson: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the running costs limit for class XVII, vote 10 will be increased by £158,000, from £8,365,000 to £8,523,000. The increase will be offset by additional appropriations in aid and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. The increase in the running costs limit is made up of two components: first, to meet unexpected additional expenditure of £108, 000 in legal costs resulting from the Lloyds/Cheltenham and Gloucester case; and second, to carry out an investigation in support of prudential supervision by the sector, at an estimated cost of £50, 000.
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the National Investment and Loans Office cash and running costs limits in 1994 95.
Mr. Nelson: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class XVII, vote 11 will be increased by £199,000 from £1,000 to £200,000. The additional provision is required to cover a shortfall in fees payable on loans to local authorities. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure. The running costs limit will be reduced by £25,000 from £1,334,000 to £1,309,000.
Mr. Matthew Banks: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes are proposed to the Central Statistical Office's cash and running costs limits in 1994 95.
Mr. Nelson: Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate the cash limit for class XVII, vote 13 will change from £48,002,000 to £48,062,000 and the running costs limit will decrease by £641,000 from £48,463,000 to £47,822,000. These changes reflect a transfer of £60,000 from the Department of Employment, class V, vote 1, in respect of funding for the international passenger survey and the transfer of £701,000 to non-running costs. These changes do not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Ian Greer Associates
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions departmental officials met representatives of Ian Greer Associates (a) formally and (b) informally on 26 January to discuss matters relating to their clients' interests.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 31 January 1995]: To my knowledge there were no meetings, formal or informal, between Treasury officials and representatives of Ian Greer Associates on 26 January 1995.
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HOME DEPARTMENT
Parkhurst Prison
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who authorised the removal of the governor from his duties and prison staff from Her Majesty's prison, Parkhurst.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Doug Hoyle, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking who authorised the removal of the Governor from his duties and prison staff from Her Majesty's Prison, Parkhurst.
The decision that the Governor of Parkhurst should be moved from his duties at Parkhurst, for operational reasons, was taken by me and the Directors of Custody, Security and Personnel. I should make it clear that he was neither sacked nor suspended. He will be assisting the further inquiries which have now to take place into the escapes and will then take up a non-operational post in Prison Service Headquarters. Authorisation for the sending of any other staff closely involved in the events of 3 January on detached duty pending the further investigations (including the disciplinary investigation) and in their own interests was given in principle by me in conjunction with the Directors of Personnel and Custody.
I want to make it quite clear that these moves are entirely without prejudice to the disciplinary investigation, which will take place as soon as Sir John Learmont's assessment of security has been completed, or to any disciplinary proceedings which may follow the disciplinary investigation.
Red Book of Captain Ramsey"
Mr. Gapes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the circumstances in which the "Red book of Captain Ramsey", mentioned in his answer of 29 March 1994, Official Report, column 614 , was returned to private hands; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the entries in the "Red book of Captain Ramsey " made when he was imprisoned under regulation 18B.
Mr. Howard: No. Records do not show the movements of "Captain Ramsey's Red Book". I therefore cannot comment on its current whereabouts or how it reached its present owner. As the book is private property and is not held by the Government, the question of my placing copies of extracts in the Library does not arise.
Prisoners
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he or the Director of Prison Services has received to the effect that the testing of prisoners for cannabis use encourages the use of harder drugs; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Harry Cohen, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question enquiring about representations received to the effect that the testing of prisoners for cannabis use encourages the use of harder drugs. The Secretary of State has not received any
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specific representations; I have received one letter recently which touched on the issue.We are aware that heavy users of cannabis may retain the drug in their bodies for much longer than light users of cannabis or users of harder drugs. This has been taken into account in the development of the drug testing policy within prisons and we are taking a number of precautions to ensure that prisoners are not encouraged to move from cannabis to harder drugs in the mistaken belief that they will more easily escape detection.
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on (a) sentence planning for all sentenced prisoners and (b) custody plans for remand prisoners.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about what progress has been made on extending sentence planning to all sentenced prisoners and custody plans for remand prisoners. Sentence planning was introduced for longer term prisoners (serving 4 years or more) in October 1992 and for prisoners serving 12 months and over in November 1993. It is undertaken for all young offenders in Young Offender Institutions. In addition, some establishments have extended the process to prisoners serving under 12 months and remand prisoners.
An extensive review of all aspects of sentence planning is currently underway. Consideration will then be given to extending it formally to a wider group of prisoners, including the introduction of custody plans for remand prisoners.
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were serving four years or more on (a) 30 June 1979, (b) 30 June 1984 and (c) 30 June 1989.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking how many prisoners were serving four years or more on (a) 30th June 1979, (b) 30th June 1984 and (c) 30th June 1989. The following information is for prisoners with sentence lengths of over four years, including those serving life sentences.
Year |Number --------------------- 1979 |5,678 1984 |6,191 1989 |12,112
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what national studies his Department is undertaking into vulnerable prisoners.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 2 February 1995:The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking what national studies are being undertaking into vulnerable prisoners.
The Prison Service is currently conducting a review of arrangements for the management of vulnerable prisoners. In addition, a research study commissioned to examine the effectiveness of integrated regimes between vulnerable and ordinary prisoners is in progress at Risley prison and other establishments.
Advertisements
Ms Corston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions and in what circumstances in the last five years advertisements have been placed in newspapers or periodicals which have been described as being issued by or on behalf of Ministers in his Department rather than on behalf of Her Majesty's Government.
Mr. Howard: No advertisements have been placed in newspapers or periodicals in the past five years which have been described as being issued by or on behalf of Ministers in my Department.
Prison Population
Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the prison population of the United Kingdom in 1991, 1992 and 1993; and what is the current figure.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. Ellyn Llwyd, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent question asking about the size of the prison population of the United Kingdom in 1991, 1992 and 1993; and about the current figure.
The available information is given in the attached table. The latest available figure for the prison population for the United Kingdom is 56,836. This uses figures for 27 January for England, Wales and Scotland and for the end of November from Northern Ireland.
!
Average population in custody<1>
United Kingdom
|Average
Year |population
---------------------------------
1991 |52,532
1992 |52,884
1993 |52,136
<1> Includes prisoners held in
police cells.
Absenteeism
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the absenteeism rates for (a) the United Kingdom Passport Agency and (b) his Department in 1994.
Mr. Howard: I regret that information on sick absence for the Department as a whole in not yet available.
A special exercise by the United Kingdom Passport Agency has shown that the average number of working days lost through sick absence for the calendar year 1994 is 14.09 days. This figure is calculated by including
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non-working days which fall within the period of sick absence.Licensed Premises
Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many licensed premises in each region have applied for children's certificates.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: The changes to the Licensing Act 1964 which enable licensees to apply to the licensing justices for children's certificates came into effect on 3 January 1995. No information about the number of applications made is yet held centrally.
Asylum Division
Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from what date the reorganisation of the asylum division, with separate allocations of staff to deal with incoming or existing cases, took effect.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: From July 1993.
Blakenhurst Prison
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the latest figure of the number of assaults on prisoners at Blakenhurst prison;
(2) what is the latest figure for the number of assaults on custody officers at Blakenhurst prison.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for these matters has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Questions about the number of assaults on prisoners and on custody officers at Blakenhurst prison.
The latest information is for assaults proved at adjudication during the calendar year 1994. Figures for 1993 were published in "Statistics of offences against prison discipline and punishments, England and Wales, 1993" (cm. 2664).
Provisional figures are that in 1994 there were 23 assaults on prisoners and 89 on staff (includes a number of assaults on others). The current rate of assaults at Blakenhurst, relative to the size of the prisoner population, is comparable to the average of other local prisons.
Suicidal Prisoners
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing the chief inspector of prisons' recommendation of November 1994 in respect of monitoring of suicidal prisoners.
Mr. Michael Forsyth: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Derek Lewis to Mr. George Howarth, dated 2 February 1995:
The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your Question on the progress on implementing the Chief Inspector of Prisons'
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recommendation of November 1994 on the monitoring of suicidal prisoners.In his Annual Report for 1994, Judge Tumim commented that a better way of continuous monitoring of suicidal prisoners should be found.
Twenty four hour monitoring is carried out where it is considered appropriate in the clinical judgement of the medical officer. However, care has to be exercised to ensure that lack of privacy does not create a feeling of oppression which exacerbates suicidal feelings. In November 1994 an Instruction to Governors was issued which prescribed that 15 minute watches should only be used as a supplement to other supportive precautionary measures, such as cell sharing.
Probation Service
Mr. George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) probation orders, (b) community service orders and (c) combination orders were held by the probation service in England and Wales on (i) 30 June 1992, (ii) 30 June 1993 and (iii) 30 June 1994.
Mr. Nicholas Baker: Information relating to 31 December is published annually in "Probation Statistics England and Wales"--table 1.3 of the 1993 issue--copies of which are in the Library. The table gives the information for 30 June; figures for 1994 are not yet available.
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