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Empty Dwellings
Mr. Alex Carlile: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many empty dwellings owned by Government Departments there were in Wales for the latest available year; and if he will make a statement. [15105]
Mr. Hague: I refer to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister responsible for housing on 23 November 1995, Official Report, column 238. Separate information is not available for other Government Departments in Wales.
Prescriptions
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give the annual average cost of prescription items per patient prescribed by (a) general practitioner fundholders and (b) non-fundholding general practitioners for each year since the introduction of fundholding for which statistics are available for (i) Wales and (ii) each family health services authority. [14964]
Mr. Hague: The 1994-95 figures are as follows. We do not hold data for earlier years.
| March 1994- April 1995 | Fundholding cost per person | Non-funding cost per person |
|---|---|---|
| £ | £ | |
| Clwyd | 77.74 | 92.28 |
| Dyfed | 78.18 | 93.43 |
| Gwent | 68.19 | 86.86 |
| Gwynedd | 73.21 | 97.01 |
| Mid Glamorgan | 70.67 | 90.63 |
| Powys | 62.91 | 84.47 |
| South Glamorgan | 64.67 | 80.09 |
| West Glamorgan | 80.01 | 91.43 |
| Wales | 73.24 | 89.40 |
TREASURY
OECD Statistics
Mr. Robert Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what was the average unemployment rate over the period 1979 to 1994 for each OECD country; [13913]
- (2) what was the average annual rate of export growth in real terms for each of the OECD countries over the period 1979 to 1994; [13921]
(3) what was the value of total investment per capita converted at current purchasing power parities for each OECD country in 1979 and 1994; [13912]
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(4) what was the average annual rate of growth in real terms of gross domestic product for each OECD country over the period 1979 to 1994; [13920]
(5) what was the average annual rate of interest for each of the EU and G7 countries over the period 1979 to 1994; [13918]
(6) what was the percentage change in civilian employment excluding those on work-related Government training programmes over the period 1979 to 1994 for each OECD country. [13914]
(7) what was the average ratio over the period 1979 to 1994 in current prices of investment to gross domestic product for each OECD country; [13922]
(8) what was the value of gross domestic product per capita converted at current purchasing power parities for each OECD country in 1979 and 1994; [13916]
(9) what was the ratio of the balance of trade to gross domestic product for each OECD country in 1979 and 1994; [13911]
(10) what was the average annual rate of inflation for each of the EU and G7 countries over the period 1979 to 1994; [13919]
(11) what was the increase in the volume of manufacturing output over the period 1979 to 1994 for each OECD country; [13915]
(12) what was the average ratio over the period 1979 to 1994 in current prices of imports to gross domestic product for each OECD country; [13923]
(13) what was the average ratio over the period 1979 to 1994 in current prices of Government investment to gross domestic product for each OECD country. [13917]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The data requested can be found in the following OECD publications:
Economic Outlook
Labour Force Statistics
Quarterly National Accounts
National Accounts, Main Aggregates Volume 1.
These publications are all available in the House of Commons Library.
European Union Budget
Mr. Olner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on United Kingdom Government contributions to European Union budget line B3-4004; and if he will make a statement. [13765]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The budgetary commentary to line B3-4004 of the general budget of the European Communities cites as its legal base the agreement on social policy annexed to the social policy protocol to the treaty on European union, and in particular the European works council directive adopted under that agreement. Article 2 of the social policy protocol states that for acts adopted by the Council under this agreement:
"any financial consequences other than administrative costs entailed for institutions shall not be applicable to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland".
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Capital Gains Tax
Miss Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many children currently make use of their annual capital gains tax allowance. [14259]
Mr. Jack: I regret that precise estimates are not possible for the number of individuals with net gains below the capital gains tax annual exempt amount. Details of gains are not required on tax returns where chargeable gains do not exceed the annual exempt amount and aggregate proceeds from disposals of all assets do not exceed twice the annual exempt amount.
Empty Buildings
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many empty buildings his Department currently owns; what is the cost of insuring and securing these buildings; how many were designed as residential properties; and what was the total amount spent by his Department on empty property taxes in each of the last five years. [14566]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury does not own any property. All buildings occupied by the Treasury form part of the Government common user estate. Information relating to the CUE was given by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment on 30 January 1996, Official Report, columns 648-49.
European Communities (Unemployment)
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average rate of unemployment in the member states of the European Community in each of the years 1972, 1982 and 1992. [14527]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Comparisons between the UK and other EU countries of unemployment on the internationally standard international labour organisation basis are available only from 1984. The table shows the extent of the available information.
| 1984 | 1992 | |
|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 11.9 | 6.7 |
| Denmark | 8.9 | 9.0 |
| France | 9.5 | 10.2 |
| Germany(4) | 6.7 | 6.3 |
| Greece | 8.1 | 7.8 |
| Ireland | 16.5 | 15.0 |
| Italy | 9.5 | 9.4 |
| Luxembourg | 2.7 | 2.0 |
| Netherlands | 12.4 | 5.6 |
| Portugal(5) | -- | 4.0 |
| Spain(5) | -- | 17.7 |
| UK | 10.9 | 9.7 |
| EC average(6) | 9.4 | 9.2 |
Notes:
(4) Rate relates to the former West Germany.
(5) Not available.
(6) Rates relate to EU10 in 1984 and EU12 in 1992.
Source:
Statistical Office of the European Community Labour Force Survey results. Figures refer to the results of the Spring Labour Force Survey in the listed countries for the specified years.
13 Feb 1996 : Column: 500
Offshore Single Pension Bonds
Miss Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the tax forgone as a result of the use of offshore single pension bonds. [14262]
Mr. Jack: We are not able to identify an offshore single pensions bond and, as a consequence, regretfully are not able to answer the hon. Member's questions.
Scott Inquiry
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pages of evidence were provided by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise to the Scott inquiry. [14837]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise have provided 15,381 pages of evidence to the Scott inquiry. This figure does not include correspondence between the Department and the inquiry or evidence supplied to the inquiry by individual witnesses.
Parliamentary Questions
Mr. Kirkwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 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. [14988]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Since October 1992, when arrangements were introduced for enabling agency chief executives to answer parliamentary questions, chief executives responsible to Treasury Ministers have replied to seven questions:
1992: 3
1993: --
1994: --
1995: 2
1996: 2
Griffin House VAT and Excise Office
Mr. Soley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he intends to pay off the lease on the VAT and Excise office at Griffin house, 161 Hammersmith road; [13600]
- (2) what considerations led to the decision to close the VAT and Excise office in Hammersmith road; and what consideration has been given to the future of the lease on the property; [13601]
(3) what is the nearest alternative office to the VAT office at 161 Hammersmith road at which people can get advice on VAT and excise; [13602]
(4) what is the cost of closing the VAT and Excise office at 161 Hammersmith road; and what is the cost of buying the lease; [13603]
(5) if his plans for staff at the VAT and Excise office in Hammersmith road include compulsory redundancy; [13604]
(6) what is the annual rental on his Department's VAT and Excise office at Griffin house, 161 Hammersmith road; [13605]
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(7) what consultation exercise his Department has initiated with customers of the VAT and Excise office at 161 Hammersmith road about its proposed closure. [13606]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise recently completed a fundamental expenditure review which has resulted in planned changes in working practices, with reductions in staff numbers and the need for accommodation. The regional collection responsible for the Hammersmith office, Thames Valley, decided to close the office as part of the consequential rationalisation of its operations, based on a detailed business case which took account of value for money for the taxpayer.
There are no plans to "buy out" of the existing lease. When the property is vacated it will be in the first instance offered to other Government Departments in the locality. If they do not take up the additional accommodation it will be let on the open market. The annual rent is £511,988 with rates of £134,534 and landlord's service charge of £110,580.
The cost of closing Griffin house will be some £400,000, which covers alterations to two nearby offices to house the additional staff who will be located there.
Set against this are the reductions in running costs, a significant portion of which will start to accrue from the moment the building is vacated.
There are no plans to make any of the existing staff at Griffin house compulsorily redundant.
It is not departmental policy to conduct formal consultation exercises about the location of offices. However, the needs of traders and the public are always taken into account before a decision about the closure of an office is taken. In the case of Hammersmith, as it covers a small geographical area coupled with satisfactory transport links, it was felt that the public and the trading community would not be unduly inconvenienced by visiting another local office. In addition, at our adjacent offices vehicle access is generally easier and there are better parking facilities.
The nearest offices are as follows:
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To the north:
Wembley LVO
Valiant house
356 High road
Wembley
MIDDLESEX HP9 6AY
To the west:
Uxbridge business centre
1 Park road
Uxbridge
MIDDLESEX UB8 1RW
Staines business centre
14 Thames street
Staines
MIDDLESEX TW18 UD
To the east:
Westminster and west end
Dorset house
Stamford street
London SE1 9PY
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