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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many written parliamentary questions were passed for answer to executive agencies and non-governmental departments in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [14991]

Mr. Norris: The information requested is a matter of public record.

Public Transport

Mr. Alan Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next plans to meet representatives of the Disabled Persons' Transport Advisory Committee to discuss access to public transport. [13031]

Sir George Young: My Department has regular meetings with the Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the transport needs of disabled people. I will be seeing the Chairman on the day of the June quarterly meeting.

Public Records Office

Mr. Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his answer of 4 December, Official Report, column 57, in what circumstances he is able to release official files other than at the appropriate time under the procedures and criteria set down by the Public Records Office. [13032]

Sir George Young: My Department may grant "privileged" access to official files earlier than their normal review date. The decision to give such access, and

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the conditions which are imposed with it, are at the discretion of the Department, in line with the criteria set down by the Public Records Office.

TREASURY

VAT (Computer Equipment)

Mr. Mullin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what considerations led Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to begin to collect VAT on computer equipment for the blind and partially sighted; and if he will publish the directive ordering the change. [14526]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 31 January 1996, Official Report, column 754.

Trusts

Miss Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of money held in trust (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) outside the United Kingdom by United Kingdom residents. [14260]

Mr. Jack: The information requested is not available.

Housing Investment Trusts

Miss Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost of tax relief provided to the proposed housing investment trusts in the first full year; and how many properties he anticipates will be made available for rent under the scheme in a full year. [14258]

Mr. Jack: We estimate the cost of tax relief in the first full year to be negligible. We have made no estimate of the number of properties that will be made available for rent through housing investment trusts. That will depend on how promoters and prospective investors respond to the new opportunity.

Cross-channel Shopping

Miss Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his most recent estimate of the loss of revenue from cross-channel shopping; if he will make a statement on his underlying assumptions in formulating this estimate; and what estimate he has made of the number of cross-channel trips made annually for the primary purpose of avoiding excise duties. [14261]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise's latest estimate of the loss of revenue cross channel shopping is as follows:

Total revenue losses£ million

		12 Months to June 1995
	Excise duty	VAT	Total
Alcoholic drinks	160	60	220
Tobacco products	120	30	150
Total	280	90	370

Source:

OPCS Omnibus Survey.

The estimate of revenue loss assumes that only 50 per cent. of cross-border purchases of alcohol represent a loss of UK sales and duty; the other 50 per cent., is assumed to be additional spending associated with the lower prices on the continent. For tobacco, it is assumed that all cross-border shopping replaces UK sales. The calculation also requires assumptions about the average strength of alcohol purchased abroad and the average prices at which this alcohol or tobacco would have been sold in the UK.

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The omnibus survey does not identify how many trips are made for the primary purpose of purchasing alcohol or tobacco abroad.

Public Supply Contracts

Mr. Boateng: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to seek to raise the limit on the value of public supply contracts in excess of which EC directive 77/62/EEC as amended by 88/295/EEC applies. [14103]

Mrs. Angela Knight: Council directive 77/62/EEC, as subsequently amended, on the award of public supply contracts, has been replaced by Council directive 93/36/EEC. The Commission has proposed a marginal increase to align the threshold at which the directive applies with the multilateral Government procurement agreement under the World Trade Organisation that came into effect on 1 January 1996. My Department has no plans to seek a further increase but will wish to consider an impact assessment being undertaken for the Commission.

Job Advertisements

Mr. Janner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many jobs have been advertised in each grade in his Department during the last three months for which records are available; and how many people have applied for each such job. [13836]

Mrs. Angela Knight: In the period from November 1995 to January 1996 there were two advertisements to recruit staff. One is to fill the post of head of internal audit, which may be filled at grade 5, 6 or 7 and the application process is currently on-going. The other was to fill economic adviser posts in a number of departments, including two Treasury grade 7 economist posts, for which there were 33 applications.

European Monetary Institute

Mr. Mike O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the capital cost provided by the Bank of England toward the funding of the EMI, in total and annually including projected contributions to 2000; and if this will be refunded if a European central bank is created but Britain does not participate in a single currency. [13439]

Mrs. Angela Knight: Article 16 of the protocol on the statute of the European Monetary Institute, annexed to the EC treaty, provides for member states' central banks to make contributions towards the capital resources of the EMI. The Bank of England has contributed 94.5 million ecu--equivalent to £74.7 million at the time--towards the capital of the EMI. The Bank of England made its contributions to the EMI from its own resources and its share of the EMI's capital is one of its own assets.

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Article 1091 of the treaty states that the EMI shall go into liquidation upon the establishment of the ECB--European central bank. The proceeds of the liquidation will be distributed to national central banks in the same proportion as capital was provided, under the terms of article 23 of the protocol. This procedure will apply whether or not the United Kingdom participates in the single currency.

Suppliers Charter

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish a suppliers charter to ensure that (a) all suppliers and (b) small and medium enterprises have the opportunity to compete for the provision of goods and services in open competition. [14586]

Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury follows the good customer practice for Government relationships with suppliers. This is set out on page 41 of the White Paper "Setting New Standards, A Strategy for Government Procurement", published by HMSO in May 1995.

Pension Schemes

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the annual limits below which no tax is paid on contributions for (a) employers' contributions and (b) employees' contributions to (i) executive pension plans, (ii) personal pension plans and (iii) small self-administered pension schemes. [14667]

Mr. Jack: In occupational pension schemes, which includes executive pension plans and small self-administered pension schemes, employee members may annually contribute up to 15 per cent. of their salary with tax relief. There is no specific limit on employer contributions, but they should not exceed the amount required to provide the benefits promised by the scheme.

In personal pension plans, employee members may annually pay a percentage of their salary as follows:

Age of member on first day of tax year	Maximum percentage of salary payable
35 or less	17.5
36-45	20
46-50	25
51-55	30
56-60	35
61-74	40

These annual limits for personal pension schemes may be increased by unused contributions relief from past tax years. Any employer contributions to personal pensions must, when aggregate with the employee's contribution fall within the above limits.

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