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Mr. Wigley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what was the total cost of maintaining United Kingdom embassies in 1993 94; what are the projections for (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1995 96; and if he will make a statement. [14683]
Mr. Goodlad: Details of the actual and projected costs of maintaining United Kingdom embassies are provided in the following table:
£ million Year |Cost -------------------- 1993-94 |264.7 1994-95 |272.7 1995-96 |282.2
Further information can be found in the FCO's departmental report, a copy of which is placed in the Library of the House.
Armament Sales
Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will list those countries to which the United Kingdom Government refuse to sanction the sale of armaments on humanitarian grounds. [15441]
Mr. David Davis: We do not issue licences for the export to any country of equipment likely to be used for internal repression. In addition, we observe arms
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embargos on China and Burma which were imposed because of repressive internal policies.Sierra Leone
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what troops, other than those of the Sierra Leone Government, are present in Sierra Leone; and what role they are playing. [14848]
Mr. Baldry: We understand that units of the armed forces of Guinea, Nigeria and Ghana are present in Sierra Leone by agreement between the Governments concerned. We also understand that the Government of Sierra Leone have themselves contracted some former Ghurkas to assist in training the Sierra Leone armed forces.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role has been played by the Commonwealth Secretariat in attempting to ameliorate the situation in Sierra Leone: and what reports he has received from the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth about the need for international preventative diplomacy or other action in Sierra Leone; and how he is going to respond. [14851.]
Mr. Baldry: Staff of the Commonwealth Secretariat have visited the region and sought to establish contact with the various parties to the dispute. We have given our strong support to international efforts to bring about a peaceful solution.
Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the estimates of the number of people in Sierra Leone who have been killed since the war started in 1991. [14853.]
Mr. Baldry: I refer to my written reply of 16 February to the hon. Member for Peckham (Ms Harman), column 731.
TREASURY
Government Expenditure
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will give a detailed breakdown of the expenditure described as non-identified in table 7.7 of Command Paper 2821; and if he will make a statement. [14623]
Mr. Aitken: Non-identifiable general Government expenditure is that which cannot be recognised as having been incurred for the benefit of the population of a specific country. It also includes all other general Government expenditure which individual Departments are unable to identify by country from their records. A breakdown is given in the table.
Breakdown of 1993-94 non-identifiable expenditure
|£ billion
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Defence |22.9
Overseas Services |3.5
Current transfers abroad (excluding above) |1.8
Nationalised Industries' EFLs |4.4
Law, order and protective service |1.0
Other unidentifiable expenditure |11.2
of which:
Agriculture market regulation and production
support |1.1
Scientific and technological assistance |0.4
Functioning of the labour market |0.2
Arts |0.2
Higher and further education |0.3
Non-contributory pension benefits |0.7
Unemployment, incapacity and other benefits |0.7
Contributory family benefits |0.4
Parliamentary and Privy Council |0.3
Economic and financial administration |3.3
Central Management of Civil Service |1.3
|44.8
Gross Domestic Product
Mr. Wigley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his forecast for money gross domestic product in the financial year 1995 96; and if he will make a statement. [14682]
Mr. Aitken: Last November's "Financial Statement and Budget Report" forecast growth in money GDP of 6 per cent. in 1995 96.
Customs and Excise Computer Centre
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff employed in the private contractors' operation at the Customs and Excise computer centre at Southend have criminal records. [15319]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: None of the staff working for private contractors is known to have a criminal record.
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what security arrangements appertain to the private contractors' operation of the Customs and Excise computer centre at Southend; what inquiries are made to ascertain whether any staff employed have criminal records; and if he will make a statement. [15318]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The vetting procedures for private contract staff working at the Customs and Excise computer centre are identical to those for Customs and Excise staff working there. These procedures are in accordance with the statement made to the House by the Prime Minister on 15 December 1994, Official Report , columns 764-66 , and further amplified by the press notice which accompanied it.
Value Added Tax
Mr. Bill Michie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consideration is being given to offering relief on VAT on fuel for advice centres. [14907]
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on which products other than fuel VAT is charged both on the product and the standing charges. [14981]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Any product which is the subject of a two-part tariff is liable to VAT at the rate applying to the product. A payment as such does not have a VAT liability. A standing charge is the consideration for a past or future supply of the product.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect of removing VAT on fuel in respect of standing charges. [14983]
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Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: None. Standing charges are part payment for the one service--the supply of domestic gas and electricity--and as such are liable to VAT at the reduced rate of 8 per cent.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received against the imposition of VAT on both supply and standing charges. [14982]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I have received a number of such representations from both Members and direct from the public.
Lloyd's Underwriters
Mr. Spellar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Inland Revenue's estimate of tax repaid to Lloyd's underwriters during the fiscal year 1994 95. [14431]
Sir George Young: A provisional estimate, based on data to the first week in March, is that £347 million of income tax and capital gains tax will be repaid to Lloyd's underwriters by the underwriters unit of Inland Revenue in the financial year 1994 95. This cover refunds of tax paid over a range of earlier years, and includes any repayment supplement attracted by the tax refunded.
Fraud
Mr. Alan Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the full annual report summarising frauds committed against Government Departments. [15056]
Sir George Young: The report is a restricted document and it would not be appropriate to place it in the Library as this could prejudice current fraud investigations. However, the report is made available to the National Audit Office.
Profit-related Pay Schemes
Mr. Darling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many participants in profit-related pay schemes were taxed at marginal rates of (a) 20 per cent., (b) 25 per cent. and (c) 40 per cent. in each year since 1988 89;
(2) what information he has on the distribution of salaries among participants in profit-related pay schemes in each year since 1988 89;
(3) what information he has on the distribution of payments among the participants in profit-related pay schemes in each year since 1988 89; how many of the participants failed to obtain a payment under the scheme; how many of the participants received a maximum payment under the scheme; and how many of the participants obtained a payment yielding the maximum tax relief under the scheme.
Sir George Young [holding answer 2 March 1995]: I regret that the information requested is not available.
Mr. Darling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what evidence he has of the effect of profit-related pay schemes on (a) the companies concerned and (b) the economy.
Sir George Young [holding answer 2 March 1995]: Studies on profit-sharing schemes generally suggest that they are associated with increased employee involvement and increases in productivity.
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EU Finances
Mr. William Ross: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, columns 459 62 , regarding sums paid and received by each member state of the EU, if he will publish a table to indicate the net sums received, or paid, by each state in each year since 1984. [14576]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 21 March 1995]: This information can readily be derived from the tables in my earlier reply. However, as the Court of Auditors' report does not attribute all budget expenditure to individual member states, the difference between payments made to member states and actual own resources paid by member states should not be regarded as indicating definitive net contributions for each member state.
Bank of England
Mr. Charles Kennedy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking under article 109(i) of the Maastricht treaty to bring forward proposals to make the Bank of England independent; and if he will make a statement. [14525]
Mr. Nelson [holding answer 20 March 1995]: None.
Private Finance Initiative
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 20 February to the hon. Member for Warley, West (Mr. Spellar), Official Report, column 9 , if he will give details of the 29 projects relating to the private finance initiative. [15414]
Sir George Young [holding answer 21 March 1995]: The 29 projects were as follows:
PROJECT TITLE, BY DEPARTMENT
Environment
1. Docklands light railway Lewisham extension
2. Royal docks energy company initiative
3. Royal docks exhibition centre and car park, London
Health
4. Bishop Auckland hospital
5. Carlisle district general hospital/Cumberland infirmary 6. Durham district general hospital
7. Royal Brompton hospital
8. St. James's University NHS trust: "medi-park" development 9. Swindon and Marlborough NHS trust extension to district general hospital
10. Gloucestershire Royal NHS trust development
Home Office
11. Bridgend prison
12. Immigration and nationality department information technology
13. Merseyside prison
14. Police national telecommunications network
Scottish Office
15. Highland regional council: Fort William sewage plant 16. Highland regional council: Inverness main drainage
17. Royal infirmary of Edinburgh
18. Strathclyde regional council: Dalmuir sewage treatment works 19. Western general hospital molecular medicines centre
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Social Security20. Benefits Agency / Post Office Counters Ltd. integrated benefit automation system
21. National insurance recording system
22. Newcastle site redevelopment--of government property
Transport
23. Channel tunnel rail link
24. Croydon tramlink
25. Design build finance operate--DBFO--contracts for road operation and improvement
26. Midland Metro line one
27. Northern line: leasing of trains
28. Scottish enroute air traffic control centre
Welsh Office
29. University hospital of Wales Cardiff: multi-storey car park
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Administration and Policy Formulation
Mr. Llywd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much money was spent on central administration and policy formulation by his Department in 1993 94; what are the projections for (a) 1994 95 and (b) 1995 96; and if he will make a statement. [14241]
Mr. Horman: Details of running costs and administrative spending by the Cabinet Office, including the Prime Minister's Office, and the Office of Public Service and Science for the years 1989 90 through to 1997 98 are contained in tables 7.5 and 7.6 of my Department's annual report, Cm 2820, copies of which are available at the Members' Library.
EMPLOYMENT
Training and Enterprise Councils
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what progress Staffordshire and Somerset training and enterprise councils and Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire chamber of commerce training and enterprise are making in meeting the criteria for the award of a three-year licence. [15855]
Mr. Paice: I am pleased to announce that Staffordshire and Somerset training and enterprise councils and Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire chamber of commerce training and enterprise have now completed the process of meeting the rigorous standard we set for the award of the new three-year licences. Their licences will be effective from April 1995.
Temporary Contracts
Mr. Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many employees in the United Kingdom are currently employed on temporary contracts of (a) under three months, (b) under six months, (c) under one year and (d) over one year in duration. [15064]
Mr. Oppenheim: The information requested can be obtained from the labour force survey for spring 1994 and is shown in the following table:
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Employees with a fixed term
contract<1> by length of contract
United Kingdom: Spring 1994
|Number
-----------------------------------
Less than 1 year |492,000
of which:
less than 3 months |135,000
less than 6 months |270,000
More than 1 year |308,000
Total |800,000
<1> Excludes those temporary
employees for whom the length of
employment had not yet been fixed.
Jobcentres (Signing Times)
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment in what circumstances (a) the Employment Service can vary a claimant's signing on time to enable that person to attend a training and education course, and (b) a claimant who has been participating in a part-time education or training course can continue in that course and have it included in a training for work action plan; and if he will make a statement. [15249]
Miss Widdecombe: The allocation of signing days and times is the responsibility of Employment Service office managers who are best placed to take account of local circumstances which affect clients' access to jobcentres. Local office managers are encouraged to vary signing times and/or days to facilitate clients undertaking a course of study or training, provided they are satisfied attendance does not prevent an individual from fulfilling the conditions for receipt of benefit.
With regard to the training for work programme, clients are assessed in order to establish the most appropriate mix of training and work experience to meet their needs and to formulate a TFW action plan. This may include continuation of a course they are already following.
Training (Appeals)
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what formal and informal rights of appeal exist for a participant in a Government training scheme if he or she has a grievance or feels that he or she has not received the quality of service promised; and if he will make a statement. [15173]
Mr. Paice: Formal arrangements for individuals dissatisfied with their programme of training are written into the contract the Department has with training and enterprise councils which are responsible for the delivery of Government funded training programmes. These arrangements require TECs to offer alternative training to those persons who have reasonable grounds for dissatisfaction with their training programme.
Training for Work
Ms Short: To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies are involved in delivering training for work through adult training credits; what plans he has to encourage further development of such credits; and if he will make a statement. [15177]
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Mr. Paice: The following training and enterprise councils and local enterprise companies are understood to be using a form of adult training credit within their training for work provision:
South and East Cheshire TEC;
Hertfordshire TEC;
Bedfordshire TEC;
Bradford TEC;
Barnsley/Doncaster TEC;
North East Wales TEC;
Grampian Enterprise;
Orkney Enterprise.
Responsibility for development projects in Scotland and Wales rests with the appropriate Secretary of State. There are currently no plans for the Employment Department to support further development in this area as TECs have the freedom to deliver TFW through a credit mechanism if they wish.
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