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ATTORNEY-GENERAL
Public Interest Immunity
Mr. Peter Bottomley: To ask the Attorney-General (1) what account he has taken of the case of Hehir, 1982, in advising Ministers and others on the freedom to waive necessary claims to public interest immunity; [12435]
- (2) what account he has taken of the rules put forward on public interest immunity duties in the case of Makanjuola v. Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis. [12436]
The Attorney-General: Advice to the Crown on public interest immunity takes account of all relevant case law, which includes Hehir and Makanjuola and, since 1994, the House of Lords decision in ex parte Wiley.
Crown Prosecution Service
Mr. French:
To ask the Attorney-General what changes he proposes for the Crown Prosecution Service's cash and running costs limits for 1995-96. [13344]
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The Attorney-General:
Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, the cash limit for class IX, vote 4 will be increased by £1,500,000 from £229,754,000 to £231,254,000. The increase will be charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
The running costs limit of class IX, vote 4 will be reduced by £1,200,000 from £225,754,000 to £224,554,000. The reduction will fund an increase in capital provision and, with the increase mentioned earlier, will fund the accelerated implementation of team working and the CPS's SCOPE--standard case operations system--computer system.
Cash and Running Cost Limits
Mr. Thomason: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on cash and running cost limits for the Northern Ireland Office, Northern Ireland departmental services, the independent living fund and certain national agricultural schemes for 1995-96. [13453]
Sir Patrick Mayhew: Subject to parliament approval of the necessary supplementary estimate, it is proposed that the cash limit for class XVI vote I--the Northern Ireland Office--will be increased by £15,650,000 from £888,655,000 to £904,305,000. This reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital and departmental running costs, and the additional expenditure on compensation and the opening of border roads.
The cash limit which covers most Northern Ireland departmental services will be increased by £97,622,000 from £3,936,723,000 to £4,034,345,000. This increase reflects the take-up of end year flexibility on capital, departmental running costs and health, the EU peace and reconciliation programme expenditure and other technical changes.
The cash limit for the independent living fund--Northern Ireland Department of Health and Social Services vote 5--had been reduced by £1,125,000 reflecting lower than expected demands on the fund. This amount will be transferred to class XIII, vote 3.
The cash limit covering national agriculture capital grant schemes and certain assistance for production, marketing and processing and the fishing industry will increase by £1,120,000 from £6,882,000 to £8,002,000 as a result of the take-up of entitlement to end year flexibility on capital--£670,000--and a transfer from Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food of £450,000 in respect of the scheme to decommission nephrops vessels in Northern Ireland.
The combined gross running cost for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments will be increased by £29,782,000 from £789,017,000 to £818,799,000. This reflects the take-up of £29,877,000 of end year flexibility entitlement announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 July 1995, Official Report, columns 776-82, a net transfer of £95,000 to the Department of Social Security in respect of work by the staff resources unit and adjustments to agency services.
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Of the revised gross running cost provision, £175,149,000 is for the Northern Ireland office and £643,650,000 is for Northern Ireland Departments.
The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what studies his Department has undertaken into work force planning in the last five years. [8333]
Mr. Moss
[holding answer 10 January 1996]: The following studies have been carried out by the Department of Health and Social Services over the last five years:
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the gross net income of a married man with two children under 11 years of age, earning a national average wage and paying non-contracted-out national insurance contributions, in each year since 1966; what was the annual percentage increase in the retail prices index; what was his net real income at 1995 prices; and what was the percentage increase in his net real income compared to (a) 12 months previously and (b) to the level in 1966. [9318]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The available information is contained in the table.
(a) 1992 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Making the best use of Resources in Northern Ireland".
(b) 1995 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Mental Health Nursing Resources".
(c) 1995 Nursing establishment and skill mix in Northern Ireland, "Learning Disability Nursing Resources".
(d) 1993 report of the task force on nursing manpower.
(1) Net income is earnings income less income tax and national insurance contributions plus child benefit.
(2) For a one-earner couple on average male earnings, paying non-contracted-out national insurance contributions, with two children under eleven years of age.
(3) January 1987 = 100.
(4) In 1995-96 prices.
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Taxation (Costs)
Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the costs of collection of (a) income tax, (b) corporation tax and (c) capital gains tax in each year since 1974; what were the reasons for changes in costs between years; and in which areas of Government increased administrative costs were attributable to the complexity of legislation. [11135]
Mr. Jack: The following table shows the costs of collection in current prices and the costs expressed as a percentage of the yield for 1982-83 onwards. Figures for earlier years are not readily available.
| Income tax cost | Corporation tax cost | Capital gains tax cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | 650 | 60 | 15 |
| 1983-84 | 676 | 63 | 15 |
| 1984-85 | 730 | 60 | 14 |
| 1985-86 | 805 | 62 | 15 |
| 1986-87 | 883 | 71 | 18 |
| 1987-88 | 932 | 85 | 25 |
| 1988-89 | 973 | 91 | 27 |
| 1989-90 | 1,068 | 101 | 32 |
| 1990-91 | 1,203 | 125 | 39 |
| 1991-92 | 1,248 | 152 | 43 |
| 1992-93 | 1,366 | 149 | 38 |
| 1993-94 | 1,427 | 156 | 42 |
| 1994-95 | 1,353 | 149 | 33 |
Changes in costs reflect changes in prices, in the overall burden of work and in efficiency.
It would not be practical to attempt to list every area of government where increased administration costs were attributable to the complexity of legislation, but civil service running costs are falling in real terms and are planned to fall by 15 per cent. between 1993-94 and 1998-99.
Ms Corston:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the costs to the Exchequer of unemployment in (a) 1979 and (b) the last year for which figures are available. [12688]
Mr. Waldegrave:
Gross benefit payments to the unemployed in 1979-80 and 1994-95, at 1994-95 prices, are estimated to have been £3.4 billion and £9.1 billion respectively.
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