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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 24 January 1996
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Small Claims Limit
Mr. Raynsford: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what advice he received on his proposal to raise the small claims limit in housing cases other than possession proceedings from £1,000 to £3,000 for representatives of consumers and the legal profession. [10261]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Lord Chancellor received responses from representatives of housing advice groups, including the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux, the Law Centres Federation and Shelter, from consumer groups such as the National Consumer Council, from the legal professions, including the Law Society and the Housing Law Practitioners' Association, and from members of the judiciary.
PRIME MINISTER
Civil Servants (Opposition Contacts)
Mr. Hawkins: To ask the Prime Minister if he has now authorised confidential pre-election contacts between senior civil servants and Opposition spokesmen. [12001]
The Prime Minister: The Leader of the Opposition, the right hon. Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair), has now asked me to authorise the conventional pre-election contacts between senior civil servants and Opposition spokesmen and I have done so. The purpose of these contacts is to allow Opposition spokesmen to inform themselves of factual questions of departmental organisation and to inform senior civil servants of any organisational changes stemming from Opposition policies in the event of a change of Government. Such meetings are confidential on both sides.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. Andrew Smith:
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) what have been the running costs relating to the tendering process of the private finance initiative in each year since its introduction (a) in real terms and (b) in cash terms disaggregated by (i) staff costs, (ii) information technology and (iii) other costs; [10977]
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The Deputy Prime Minister:
I refer the hon. Member to the answers given yesterday by the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service.
(2) how much has been spent on external consultants in the tendering process of the private fiance initiative in each year since its introduction (a) in real terms and (b) in cash terms disaggregated by (i) legal fees, (ii) publicity costs, (iii) accountancy fees and (iv) management consultancy fees. [10976]
Executive Agencies
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action heads of his Department's executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses in the event of such agencies seeking to make economies; and if he will make a statement. [9148]
Mr. Hanley: I have asked the chief executives of the National Resources Institute and Wilton Park executive agencies to reply to the hon. Member's question.
Letter from Richard Latter to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 15 January 1996:
Letter from Anthony Beattie to Mr. Martin Redmond, dated 19 January 1996:
Wilton Park arranges its pre-retirement courses for staff utilising the good offices of the FCO Training Department.
In your question addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs you asked what action the heads of his executive agencies are taking to safeguard the provision of pre-retirement courses. It has been agreed that I should provide this information in respect of NRI.
Pre-retirement seminars organised by ODA are offered to NRI staff nearing retirement age. Provision of courses or seminars by a third party (as is presently being done for staff leaving NRI under a current severance/early retirement programme) would be arranged if ODA facilities were not available.
Chernobyl Explosion (Compensation)
Mr. Jopling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what approaches have been made to the Governments of the former Soviet Union, under the principles of the polluter pays, to seek compensation for the effects in the United Kingdom of the Chernobyl explosion. [11154]
Sir Nicholas Bonsor: Just after the 1986 nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, on 10 July 1986, we notified the Soviet Union that we were reserving the right to file claims for damage which had occurred in the United Kingdom.
However, we came to the conclusion that it was unrealistic to expect the Soviet Union to honour such claims.
It was not possible to base a claim for compensation against the Soviet Union on relevant international conventions, in particular the 1968 Vienna convention on civil liability for nuclear damage, as it was not a party to
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these conventions. The Soviet Union now no longer exists. The Russian Federation and Ukraine are considering accession to the 1968 Vienna convention. However, any such accession would not have retrospective effect.
We are participating in the work in progress internationally to achieve an enhanced global regime for nuclear liability. We expect that this issue will be discussed during the G7/G8 nuclear safety summit in Moscow in April.
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations Her Majesty's Government have made to the Government of Pakistan in respect of the abuse of human rights in Pakistan; and if he will make a statement. [10358]
Mr. Hanley:
We regularly raise our concerns about humans rights issues with the Government of Pakistan and will continue to do so.
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been killed in Karachi and Sindh in Pakistan in the past two years; and if he will make a statement. [10360]
Mr. Hanley:
The figures we have from the Pakistani authorities for people killed in the last two years are:
| 1994 | 1995 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sindh (including Karachi) | 2,112 | 2,823 |
| Karachi | 919 | 1,847 |
We have consistently stressed the importance of respect for human rights and have urged all parties to refrain from violence and to negotiate a sustainable political settlement.
Mr. Parry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent arrest by the Pakistan security forces of the secretary- general of Human Rights International. [10361]
Mr. Hanley:
Dr. Halepota, the secretary-general of Human Rights International, who is a dual British-Pakistani national, was detained by the Pakistani police on 28 November 1995. Under international law, we are not entitled to afford protection to a dual national in the country of his or her second nationality. However, on humanitarian grounds our high commission made informal representations to the Pakistani authorities. Dr. Halepota was deported to the UK on 5 January.
Tax Returns
Sir Andrew Bowden:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the number and proportion of taxpayers aged 65 years or over who complete tax returns. [7648]
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Mr. Jack:
It is estimated that in 1995-96 there will be around 10 million people aged 65 or over, about 3 million of whom will pay income tax. It is estimated that around 750,000 or 7.5 per cent. of the total will complete tax returns.
Mr. Mike O'Brien:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations he has undertaken with the Plain English Society on the self-assessment tax forms currently being proposed; what has been the response; and if he will place a copy of all correspondence in the Library. [8319]
Mr. Jack:
The Inland Revenue has won several plain English awards for its forms over the years and has been in correspondence with the Plain English Campaign about obtaining a crystal mark accreditation for the new self-assessment tax return. It continues to consult extensively with prospective users about the wording of the return and has invited PEC to contribute to that consultative process.
It would not be appropriate for me to place copies of the correspondence on this in the House Library without the consent of the parties to it.
Mr. Austin Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) single persons, (b) married couples and (c) married couples with two children he estimates will benefit by £9 per week net following his Budget; and what considerations underlay his estimate that taxpayers would benefit by this sum. [9779]
Mr. Jack:
As my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made clear in his Budget statement, a married couple with two children and one earner on average earnings gain around £190 per year from the Budget tax changes, including the effect of changes to indirect tax. Taking higher earnings into account, the same family should be around £450 per year better off next year, after tax and inflation.
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