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Agriculture Contributions (EU)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps have been taken in respect of the conclusions contained in paragraph 1.125, page 44, of the annual report of the Court of Auditors of the European Communities, in respect of the United Kingdom's provision of information and methods of estimating the agriculture component of gross national product. [2800]

Mrs. Angela Knight: In July 1994 the GNP committee discussed a paper by the Commission covering the agriculture component of GNP for all member states. There was a routine request for several member states, including the United Kingdom to supply the Commission with additional information on sources and methods.

Immediately following the meeting, the Central Statistical Office sent the Commission a copy of an inventory on the sources and methods for agriculture, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food. The Central Statistical Office will continue to respond to any reasonable request for information from the Commission and the GNP committee.

Fuel Duty

Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the effect on market share and exhaust pollution in Sweden of fuel tax related to the sulphur contents of motor vehicle diesel. [3078]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: None.

Mr. Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the rates of motor vehicle fuel duty for different types of petrol and for diesel. [3077]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The excise duty rates for petrol and diesel road fuel are as follows:


Mr. Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the differential in fuel duty needed to achieve common retail prices for ordinary diesel and for low sulphur diesel for motor vehicles. [3075]

29 Nov 1995 : Column: 700

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I regret that, because of the wide variation in the pre-tax price of diesel, no meaningful estimate can be made.

Mr. Bottomley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the medium-term change in shares of motor vehicle diesel between ordinary and low sulphur diesel if retail prices were the same. [3076]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The Government have no information on which to base such an estimate.

Inflation

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of overall inflation in 1995-96. [1932]

Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 27 November 1995]: The "Financial Statement and Budget Report 1996-97" contains my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor's latest forecast for inflation for the years 1995 and 1996.

World Bank Inspection Panel

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is his policy to support the continuation of the World bank inspection panel. [2910]

Mr. Hanley: I have been asked to reply.

Yes. We hope the panel will prove a useful addition to the existing systems of control provided through the board of directors and by management and will enhance measures to increase the openness of the bank's operations.

SCOTLAND

Registered Land

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage and acreage of land in Scotland is unregistered. [2393]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: Title to all land in Scotland is registered in the Land Register for Scotland or recorded in the Register of Sasines.

29 Nov 1995 : Column: 701

Electoral Wards

Mr. Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the new council wards which now contain (a) the 3,865 electors from Strathclyde electoral division 46 (Chryston) included in the East Dumbartonshire council, (b) the 8,099 electors from Strathclyde electoral division 35 (Toryglen/Kingspark) included in the area of South Lanarkshire council, (c) the 320 electors from Strathclyde electoral division 8 (Vale of Leven) included in the area of Argyll and Bute council and (d) the 248 electors from Tayside electoral division 31 (Sidlaw) included in the area of Dundee city council; and, where any of these groups of electors is contained in more than one new council ward, if he will indicate how many of the electors in question are contained in each of those wards. [2105]

Mr. Kynoch: The information is as follows:


Arts

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to increase funding for the arts in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [2087]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: My right hon. Friend will make an announcement on his future spending plans shortly.

Fire Brigades

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what statutory obligation the fire brigade has to attend flooding, road accidents and other non-fire related incidents. [2680]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: A fire authority is empowered, under section 3(1)(e) of the Fire Services Act 1947, to employ the fire brigade maintained by it, or to use any equipment so maintained, for purposes other than firefighting purposes. There is no statutory obligation on such an authority to do so.

Mr. Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what consideration is given to the activities of the fire brigade that are not related to firefighting or prevention in determining its funding. [2681]

29 Nov 1995 : Column: 702

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton: The principal determinants of fire service funding are the personnel, fire stations, and equipment required to provide fire cover. Activities not related to firefighting are undertaken largely with those resources, but any additional requirements in relation to these activities are also taken into account by my right hon. Friend.

Water and Sewerage Authorities

Sir Hector Monro: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state his proposals for the financing of the new Scottish water and sewerage authorities in 1996-97. [3686]

Mr. Michael Forsyth: Water authorities are currently preparing charges schemes for submission to the Customers Council. The financial arrangements that I am announcing today mean that average charges in 1996-97 need increase by no more than 6 per cent. I invite the authorities to be guided accordingly in finalising their charges schemes. It is for each authority to decide upon its own scheme and on the allocation of charges, and of any overall increase in charges among different groups of customers. It is then for the authorities and the Customers Council to consider all aspects of the charges scheme. I become involved only if there remain differences which cannot be resolved.

Section 83(2) of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 empowers me to set a rate of return which the authorities should earn on the value of their net assets. I propose that for each authority this rate of return should be 6.5 per cent. to be earned annually on net assets amounting initially to £336 million in the case of the east authority, £260 million in the case of the north authority, and £404 million in the case of west authority. The necessary order will be laid before Parliament shortly.

I have also decided that the external financing limits for 1996-97 for the authorities will amount to £274 million. The allocation to each authority will be announced shortly.

We have already undertaken to provide relief to offset the charge for domestic sewerage which from 1 April next year will be levied direct on customers instead of being a service met from the council tax. I can now announce that we will give the authorities income of £89.7 million to compensate for the charge income they will forgo in 1996-97. Of this, £27.3 million will be available to the east authority, £22.4 million to the north authority and £40 million to the west authority. The necessary order will be laid before Parliament shortly.

I believe that these arrangements which I have announced will establish the new water and sewerage authorities on a sound financial footing and will enable them from the outset to deliver a first class service at the lowest possible cost.

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