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Konver II Programme
Mr. Fatchett: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those projects that have been submitted to the European Union for inclusion in the Konver II programme. [14332]
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Mr. Eggar: I have not sent any projects to the European Commission. The hon. Member has misunderstood the procedure. On 1 July 1994, the Commission published a notice outlining the purposes of Konver grants, setting out criteria for geographical eligibility, and inviting national programmes, not projects, to be sent to it by 1 October. After revising its views on the determination of the eligible geographical areas, it subsequently amended the date for programmes to 1 March 1995, when the British programme was duly sent. On 21 December 1994, the Commission determined the financial allocation available to each member state and drew up a "provisional" list of eligible geographical areas. The national programmes set out the purposes for which member states propose to use Konver grants in more detail, but consistently with the terms of the notice. They do not describe individual projects. They also include member states' final proposed lists of eligible areas.
When, later this year, the British programme has been agreed with the Commission, applications for grants to individual projects will be considered by the Government in accordance with the terms of the programme. Allocations and payments of grant will proceed thereafter.
I am aware that many prospective applicants have, on their own initiative, been preparing applications for some time. The Government offices in the English regions, the Scottish Office, the Welsh Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be glad to advise them, so far as is possible while the final terms of the British programme--like those for other member states-- are not yet agreed with the Commission.
Deregulation Advisory Committee
Mr. Steen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what results have been achieved following the establishment of the deregulation advisory committee; how many members it comprises; how many sub-committees it contains; how many members comprise those sub-committees; what is the total cost of public funds of the initiative in terms of (a) staff salaries, (b) office costs and (c) incidentals and if he will make a statement on the progress he hopes to make in the next three months. [14812]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The deregulation task force has 16 members, including the chairman, the right hon. Francis Maude. It has a flexible working structure. At present, it is focusing on 10 broad areas of work: small business/licensing, enforcement, tax, health and safety, food and drink, environment, financial services, employment, transport and longer- term issues. Fourteen additional business representatives currently assist the task force on particular issues.
Task force members are not paid for their work, but they receive travel and subsistence expenses. Administrative support for the task force is provided by the deregulation unit in my Department, which also has the overall task of stimulating and monitoring progress to minimise regulatory burdens. Details of the total running costs of the deregulation unit are available in the DTI annual report which was published on 2 March and is available for inspection in the Library of the House.
The deregulation task force will issue its first annual report soon.
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Telecommunications
Mr. Allen: To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) when he expects to present to Parliament the official text of part II of the European Green Paper on telecommunications liberalisation; (2) when he expects to produce the explanatory memorandum from the Government on the implications of the European Commission Green Paper, part II, on telecommunications liberalisation.
Mr. Ian Taylor: I expect to submit to Parliament shortly the official text of part II of the European Commission's Green Paper on the liberalisation of telecommunications infrastructure and an explanatory memorandum on it.
PRIME MINISTER
Lockerbie
Mr. Tam Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from Sir Charles Powell about the western response to the destruction of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie. [15102]
Terrorist Organisations (Disarming)
Rev. Martin Smyth: To ask the Prime Minister when a Minister first intimated publicly that the Government's position on disarming terrorist organisations had changed to allow Ministers to discuss the possibility and modality of disarming. [14854]
The Prime Minister: The Government's line regarding dialogue with Sinn Fein and the decommissioning issue has been consistent throughout. It is important not to confuse the issues of ministerial participation in exploratory dialogue and Sinn Fein participation in inclusive talks.
We have always made it clear that, in judging the right time for ministerial involvement, we have to be clear that Sinn Fein is willing to address all necessary issues and that progress has been made in having serious and substantive exploration of them. Ministers need to be clear that, if and when they take part, constructive discussion, particularly in achieving substantial progress on the decommissioning of arms, would be facilitated and accelerated by their joining the dialogue.
But, as a matter of principle and political reality, Sinn Fein cannot be admitted into an inclusive political talks process until substantial progress has been made on the decommissioning of weapons. This is exactly the point my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland made in Belfast on 14 December last year.
Public Holidays
Sir David Steel: To ask the Prime Minister what is his policy in respect of the entitlement of employees of the NHS to time off on the national holiday planned for 8 May; and if he will make it his policy that the status of the employers within the health service will have no bearing upon employee entitlement to public holidays. [14694]
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The Prime Minister: It is the Government's policy that the national holiday on 8 May will be observed by all national health service employers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, instead of the customary bank holiday on May 1. In recognition of the different traditions regarding bank holidays in Scotland, it will be for NHS employers in Scotland to decide whether or not to give staff a holiday on 8 May.
Entitlement to bank and public holidays for NHS staff employed on national terms and conditions is governed by an agreement of the General Whitley Council.
Royal Family (Publicity Services)
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Prime Minister what was the expenditure for each year since 1984 in support of the royal family in respect of publicity services; and if he will provide a breakdown between different members of the royal family. [14611]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 27 March 1995]: Expenditure by COI on publicity services for the royal household for each year since 1984 85 is as follows:
1984 85 £182,000
1985 86 £172,000
1986 87 £181,000
1987 88 £205,000
1988 89 £183,000
1989 90 £375,000
1990 91 £292,000
1991 92 £318,000
1992 93 £237,000
1993 94 £290,000
Further information is not available in the form requested.
EMPLOYMENT
Unemployment Benefit
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment, pursuant to his answer of 24 November 1994, Official Report , column 267 , if he is now able to publish research carried out by his Department on the lengths of periods of disqualification from unemployment benefit following a finding of voluntary unemployment. [14369]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mr. Harry Barnes, dated 20 March 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked to reply to your question about research we commissioned into periods of disqualification from unemployment benefit.
When I wrote to you on 24 November, I undertook to forward the results of this research, which were expected by the end of 1994. May I reiterate my letter to you of 18 January which contained details of the findings.
Information about periods of disqualification from unemployment benefit, including those imposed following a finding voluntary unemployment, was gathered as part of research we commissioned into wider adjudication issues. I am enclosing an extract from the research data which provides a snap shot picture of average periods of disqualification imposed during October 1994. The results show
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that 29% of disqualifications overall are for the full six months and that the average period for the remainder is 89 days. For leaving voluntary cases the proportion of disqualifications for the full six months is 25%.I hope this is helpful.
NB: I have arranged for a copy of the annexes to be placed in the Library.
Polling and Public Survey Organisations
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment if he will make a statement on the employment of polling or public survey organisations by his Department during the current and previous financial years, on the organisations employed by his Department, on the values of individual contracts for these services, on the total amounts of money spent and on the purposes of the research undertaken by these organisations. [14511]
Miss Widdecombe: The Department funds a comprehensive range of research and evaluation work to assist in achieving the aim of promoting a competitive, efficient and flexible labour market. The forward programme is advertised in the Employment Gazette and potential contractors, some of whom may conduct polling and public survey work, are invited to register an interest in projects within the programme. Contracts are awarded following competitive tendering in line with Government purchasing procedures. Details of all research and evaluation work commissioned within the Employment Department group are published in our annual reports on research and in regular research updates in the Employment Gazette .
Civil Servants
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what was the total number of civil servants employed by (a) his Department, (b) the agencies under his Department's responsibility and (c) public and other bodies under his Department's responsibility, for each year since 1979, divided into (1) full-time equivalents, (2) overtime, (3) casuals and (4) other; and whether he will also provide for each year his estimates of (A) civil service job reductions due to privatisations, (B) civil service job reductions due to contracting out, (C) civil service job reductions resulting from other transfer of responsibilities, (D) the total of all other staff undertaking work for the Department or its agencies without being categorised as civil servants, including external consultants, researchers, agency secretarial staff and staff substitution and (E) total manpower expenditures, in 1994 prices. [15096]
Miss Widdecombe: The civil service covers the permanent staff of central Government Departments and next steps agencies. The staff of other bodies are outside the civil service.
The annual publication "Civil Service Statistics" gives details of the number of civil servants employed by the Department and the Employment Service agency, including full-time equivalent staff and casuals, from 1993 onwards, and of staff leaving the civil service. "Public Bodies", published annually since 1982, contains staffing information for those bodies not covered by civil service statistics.
Details of running costs and the civil service pay bill for the Department can be found in annexe A, table (iv)
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of the Department's annual report, Cm 2805. Table (iii) gives details of overtime from 1989 90 onwards.Copies of all of these publications are available in the Library. The remaining information sought can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Burns International
Mrs. Ann Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment (1) what contact his officials have had with Burns International to discuss a variation to the tender to provide his Department with office services; and if he will make a statement; [14874] (2) if he will make it his policy to ensure that a full cost assessment is made of any changes proposed by Burns International in its tender for office services and that they are compared against the cost of the in-house bid. [14876]
Miss Widdecombe: Responsibility for the subject of the questions has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its chief executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given. Letter from M. E. G. Fogden to Mrs. Ann Taylor, dated 20 March 1995:
The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions relating to various aspects of the recent successful tender by Burns International (Burns) for Regional Office Support Services within the Employment Service (ES).
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My decision to award contracts to Burns in ES Northern Region, Office for Scotland and Office for Wales was reached following a market test carried out in accordance with Efficiency Unit guidance. It represents best value for money for the ES and therefore better value for money to the taxpayer. Since that decision in January, discussions have taken place between Burns and my people focusing on aspects of service delivery and final contract price. Such post tender negotiations, with our preferred tenderer, are part of our standard procurement process and are undertaken in order to finalise contractual detail prior to contract signature. I can assure you that any changes proposed by Burns in order to meet the requirements set out in the competition for this work will not involve amending the price that they will charge the ES.Within ES market testing, it is our policy to ensure that any variations to the tender price which result from post tender negotiations are fully assessed in line with Efficiency Unit guidance. This assessment involves full financial comparisons with the tender proposals of other bidders, including the in house bid team, to ensure that the preferred tenderer continues to offer the ES best value for money.
I hope this is helpful.
Stockport and High Peak Training and Enterprise Council
Mr. Booth: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress Stockport and High Peak training and enterprise council is making in meeting the criteria for the award of a three-year licence. [15442]
Mr. Paice: I am pleased to announce that Stockport and High Peak training and enterprise council has now completed the process of meeting the rigorous standard we set for the award of the new three year licences. Its licence will be effective from April 1995.
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TREASURY
Civil Servants
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total number of civil servants employed by (a) his Department, (b) the agencies under his Department's responsibility and (c) public and other bodies under his Department's responsibility, for each year since 1979, divided into (i) full-time equivalents, (ii) overtime, (iii) casuals, and (iv) other; and whether he will also provide for each year his estimates of (A) civil service job reductions due to privatisations, (B) civil service job reductions due to contracting out, (C) civil service job reductions resulting from other transfer of responsibilities, (D) the total of all other staff undertaking work for his Department or its agencies without being categorised as civil servants, including external consultants, researchers, agency secretarial staff and staff substitution and (E) total manpower expenditures, in 1994 prices. [15091]
Mr. Nelson: The civil service covers the permanent staff of central government departments and next steps agencies. The staff of other bodies are outside the civil service.
The annual publication "Civil Service Statistics" gives details of the number of civil servants employed by my Department and its agencies, including full-time equivalent staff and casuals, from 1993 onwards, and of staff leaving the civil service.
"Public Bodies", published annually since 1982, contains staffing information for those bodies not covered by "Civil Service Statistics".
Details of the running costs and civil service pay bill for my Department can be found in table 12.2 of my Department's annual report, Cm 2817. Table 12.3 gives details of overtime from 1989 90 onwards.
Copies of all these publications are available in the Members' Library.
The remaining information sought could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Barings Bank
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date requests to close the New York office of Barings by the Securities and Exchange Commission were first communicated (a) to the Bank of England or (b) departmental officials.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: On (a) as my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 27 February, Official Report , columns 693 704, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. He expects to publish the full report subject only to the need to protect the legitimate confidentiality of innocent third parties and any other legal constraints. On (b) Treasury officials were not approached.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date concerns expressed by Mr. James Bax as to Barings operations in Singapore in a memo of 1992 were first drawn to the attention of representatives of the Bank of England or departmental officials.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: There was no requirement to bring this to the attention of the
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Treasury, and no one did so. As for the Bank, my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 27 February, columns 693 -704, that he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. He expects to publish the full report subject only to the need to protect the legitimate confidentiality of innocent third parties and any other legal constraints.Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications were received by Treasury officials as to developing problems at either Barings in the United Kingdom or in Singapore from overseas financial authorities in each of the last 24 months separately.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: None.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether Barings ever discussed with the Bank of England or Treasury officials a dispensation enabling Barings to breach rules in respect of cap on investments rules in the period between 1 December 1994 and 26 February 1995.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: Such dispensations are not matters for the Treasury and officials were not approached. As for the Bank, my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 27 February that he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of this episode and to report back to him. He expects to publish the full report subject only to the need to protect the legitimate confidentiality of innocent third parties and any other legal constraints.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the Bank of Japan was approached by Barings in January 1995 on matters relating to exposure in the Market first made known to Bank of England and or departmental officials.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: There would have been no need for any such information to be made known to Treasury officials and, as far as I can ascertain, it was not. As for the Bank, as my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 27 February he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. He expects to publish the full report subject only to the need to protect the legitimate confidentiality of innocent third parties and any other legal constraints.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date warnings by SIMEX in January and February as to Baring's exposure in the market were first communicated to the Bank of England and or departmental officials.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: Treasury officials received no such information. As my right hon. and learned Friend told the House on 27 February columns 693-704, he has asked the Board of Banking Supervision to investigate fully and urgently all aspects of the Barings episode and to report back to him. He expects to publish the full report subject only to the need to protect the legitimate confidentiality of innocent third parties and any other legal constraints.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has on the number of banks which have closed in the last 30 years; on what dates they closed; and what was the value of their assets.
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Mr. Nelson: Full information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The following table lists United Kingdom authorised banks which have entered into administration, liquidation or provisional liquidation since 1980. It does not include banks which have ceased to be authorised by the Bank of England but which remained solvent. In most cases the value of assets has been taken either from statements of affairs or press releases and will be best estimates made at the time.
United Kingdom authorised banks which have closed since 1979
|Closure date |Value of assets
|£
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Merbro Finance |1982 |4 million
First Guarantee Trust |1982 |3 million
Chancellor Finance |1983 |1 million
Goodwin Squires Securities |1983 |negligible
Trinity Trust and Savings |1983 |4 million
Bremar Holdings |1984 |22 million
Castle Court Trust |1984 |7 million
Cross and Bevingtons
Finance |1984 |negligible
St. Martin le Grand
Securities |1984 |negligible
Eastcheap Investments |1984 |1 million
Spring Gardens Securities |1986 |1 million
Oriental Credit |1986 |10 million
PL Investments |1987 |1 million
Consumer Credit Investments |1987 |1 million
British and Commonwealth
Merchant Bank |1990 |410 million
Authority Bank |1991 |49 million
Chancery<1> |1991 |164 million
Edington |1991 |33 million
Wallace Smith Trust |1991 |215 million
Bradford Investments |1991 |1 million
BCCI (United Kingdom
branches) |1991 |$3.2 billion
Rafidain Bank (United
Kingdom branch)<2> |1991 |201 million
National Guardian Mortgage
Corporation |1992 |12 million
Mount Banking Corporation |1992 |188 million
Deacon Hoare |1992 |1 million
Equatorial Bank |1993 |83 million
Roxburghe Bank |1993 |34 million
Wimbledon and South West
Finance<3> |1994 |24 million
Baring Bros and Co. Ltd.<3> |1995 |5.2 billion
<1> Came out of administration and is now subject to a company voluntary
arrangement.
<2> In provisional liquidation.
<3> Still authorised under the Banking Act.
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local authorities or Government bodies had money deposited with Barings bank.
Mr. Nelson: It is for individual authorities and Government bodies to decide what details to disclose about their use of bank accounts. In any case, following ING's takeover of Barings, depositors' funds have now been unfrozen.
Monetary Policy
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which the deflationary measures which he has taken since August 1994 will benefit the financiers of the real economy at the expense of manufacturing industry; and what steps he will take to prevent this.
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Mr. Nelson: The role of monetary policy is to deliver low inflation. Monetary policy has been tightened since August 1994, so as to take no risk with inflation. A stable macro-economic environment with low inflation is the best way to ensure sustained real growth and will benefit all sectors of the economy.
Manufactures
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each year since 1970 the United States and United Kingdom trade surplus/deficit in manufactures as a percentage of gross domestic product, the terms of trade for manufactures and the change in the relative unit value of exports of manufactures compared to each other and to the main manufacturing countries.
Mr. Nelson: The value, and united values for UK imports and exports of manufactures, and relative export unit value indices for the United Kingdom, United States and other main manufacturing countries can be found in the "Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics" published monthly by the Central Statistical Office. UK GDP can be found in "Economic Trends, Annual Supplement" also published by the Central Statistical Office. Alternatively, the data can be found on the Central Statistical Office's computer database.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the change in relative export unit values for manufactures since 1979, together with the change in import penetration and in the United Kingdom share of the export trade in manufactures.
Mr. Nelson: Estimates of import penetration and the UK share of world trade in manufactures can readily be derived from figures for import volumes, domestic demand, manufacturing export volumes and world trade in manufactures. These data and figures for relative export unit values for manufactures can be found on the central database of the Central Statistical Office, which can be accessed through the House of Commons Library.
Exchange Rates
Sir Ralph Howell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the £/DM exchange rate in 1965, 1975, 1985 and currently.
Mr. Nelson: At close on Wednesday 15 March, sterling stood at DM2.22. Information on sterling's exchange rate against the deutschmark can be found in table 7.1 of "Financial Statistics" published by the Central Statistical Office; a longer back-run of data is available in the annual supplement to "Economic Trends", also published by the CSO.
Export Values
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects United States relative export values for manufactures to fall to the 1978-80 average; and if he will publish a table showing United Kingdom export unit values for manufactures relative to those of the United States for each year since 1987 and for each quarter since the third quarter of 1992.
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 13 March 1995]: It is not the Government's practice to publish forecasts of relative export values for the United States.
Unit value export prices of manufactures for the main manufacturing countries can be found in the "Monthly
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Review of External Trade Statistics", published monthly by the Central Statistical Office, or on the Central Statistical Office's computer database.Taxpayers
Dr. Marek: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers there were in the last financial year whose taxable earnings averaged £1,000 or more per day.
Sir George Young [holding answer 14 March 1995]: A reliable estimate is not available.
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