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Written Answers to Questions
Wednesday 14 February 1996
TREASURY
VAT (Disabled People)
Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reconsider the VAT treatment of (a) emergency car telephones for the disabled and (b) off-road wheelchairs; and if he will make a statement. [15011]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: No. General purpose equipment such as emergency car telephones remains standard-rated because many other people besides the disabled use it as well. Relief is available for equipment which is designed solely for disabled people, and also on the costs of adapting goods to make them usable by the disabled. Zero-rating also applies to invalid wheelchairs other than mechanically propelled vehicles intended or adapted for use on roads. If an off-road vehicle has been designed solely for use by disabled people, it too may qualify for relief.
Bills (Voluntary Bodies)
Mr. Chidgey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will institute a review of late payment of bills due to voluntary bodies by Government Departments. [15095]
Mrs. Angela Knight: Government Departments are required to pay all bills promptly, not only those due to voluntary bodies.
Beer Imports
Sir Ivan Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the proportion of off-licence beer sales now being lost to personal importation of beer from the continent. [14931]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Data relating solely to the impact on off-licence beer sales of personal importations of beer from the continent are not available. However, for the 12 months ending 30 June 1995, the overall loss to United Kingdom sales of beer, including off-licence sales due to legitimate personal importations from other member states, is estimated by HM Customs and Excise to be equivalent to approximately 0.5 per cent. of UK consumer expenditure on beer.
Low Pay
Mr. Meacher:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the number and proportion of manual, non-manual and all full-time employees earning less than (a) £161.60, (b) £215.47 and (c) £288.68 per week excluding overtime payments for (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) both sexes for (1) England and (2) Great Britain in April 1995; [14346]
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Mrs. Angela Knight
[holding answer 13 February 1996]: Available information from the "New Earnings Survey 1995" is provided in the following table.
(2) if he will list the number and proportion of manual, non-manual and all part-time employees earning less than (a) £4.26 per hour, (b) £5.69 per hour and (c) £6.03 per hour excluding overtime payments for (i) men, (ii) women and (iii) both sexes for (1) England and (2) Great Britain in April 1995. [14347]
| Weekly | Hourly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage earning less than: | £161.60 | £215.47 | £228.68 | £4.26 | £5.69 | £6.03 |
| Males | ||||||
| Manual | ||||||
| England | 12.8 | 39.9 | 46.9 | 16.5 | 44.8 | 51.7 |
| Great Britain | 13.0 | 40.4 | 47.5 | 16.8 | 45.2 | 52.1 |
| Non-manual | ||||||
| England | 4.7 | 13.6 | 16.0 | 5.2 | 14.5 | 17.2 |
| Great Britain | 4.8 | 13.9 | 16.3 | 5.3 | 14.6 | 17.4 |
| Females | ||||||
| Manual | ||||||
| England | 48.9 | 79.7 | 84.2 | 50.1 | 80.7 | 85.3 |
| Great Britain | 48.8 | 79.6 | 84.3 | 50.1 | 80.8 | 85.3 |
| Non-manual | ||||||
| England | 12.5 | 35.6 | 40.6 | 11.4 | 32.5 | 38.0 |
| Great Britain | 12.9 | 36.7 | 41.8 | 11.7 | 33.4 | 39.0 |
| all | ||||||
| Manual | ||||||
| England | 19.5 | 47.3 | 53.8 | 22.7 | 51.4 | 57.9 |
| Great Britain | 19.8 | 47.8 | 54.5 | 23.1 | 51.8 | 58.3 |
| Non-manual | ||||||
| England | 8.3 | 23.7 | 27.3 | 8.0 | 22.8 | 26.8 |
| Great Britain | 8.6 | 24.4 | 28.1 | 8.3 | 23.3 | 27.4 |
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the United Kingdom work force would be covered by a minimum wage set at (a) £3.50 per hour and (b) £4.15 per hour. [14971]
Mrs. Knight [holding answer 13 February 1996:] Information from the April 1995 "New Earnings Survey" shows that 9.1 per cent. of employees in Great Britain would be covered by a minimum wage set at £3.50 per hour and 18.9 per cent. would be covered by a minimum wage set at £4.15 per hour.
Sustainable Development
Ms Ruddock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how the promotion of sustainable development will be reflected in the implementation of the proposals contained in the White Paper "Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money". [15108]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: There will be no direct impact on the promotion of sustainable development in the implementation of the proposals contained in the White Paper "Better Accounting for the Taxpayer's Money".
Customs and Excise
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the review of the investigative functions and resources
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of Customs and Excise has been completed; and what conclusions have been reached. [15183]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
The final report of the fundamental expenditure review of Customs and Excise investigation and intelligence activity was completed in October 1995 and approved by Ministers in November 1995.
The main conclusions of the review were that organisational changes are required to help Customs and Excise tackle more effectively the growing sophistication of commercial drug smuggling and tax fraud. From the 1 April 1996 there will be a single Customs national investigation service, combining regional investigation units and the central division; and a unified national intelligence network, based on an expanded national intelligence division.
Although, in common with most other Government Departments, Customs overall resources are set to fall, the creation of the new organisation will mean the deployment of over 200 additional staff in the key areas of intelligence and investigation.
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list for primary and secondary legislation passed since 5 April 1995 which measures were subject to a compliance cost assessment; and what was the compliance cost in each instance. [13658]
Mr. Watts:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many environmental appraisals were produced by his Department using the guidance contained in the Department of the Environment's "Policy Appraisal and the Environment" in 1995; and if he will place copies in the Library. [15121]
Mr. Norris:
My Department does not keep a central record of environmental appraisals conducted before new or revised policies are adopted. We do, however, take environmental considerations into account in the policy development process using the guidance contained in "Policy Appraisal and the Environment".
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the service on the Barking to Gospel Oak line; and if he will make a statement. [15184]
Mr. Norris:
In 1995, the Department received five representations concerning the service on the Barking to Gospel Oak line. The representations expressed concern about performance staffing levels and the possibility of line closures. No representations have been received this year.
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The operation of passenger services on the Barking to Gospel Oak line is a matter for North London Railways.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans exist to replace rolling stock on the Barking to Gospel Oak line; and if he will make a statement. [15186]
Mr. Norris:
This is a matter for the British Railways Board. It is currently reviewing the rolling stock requirements for this line.
Ms Short:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if the franchising process for the (a) south-west and (b) Great Western lines will be reopened in circumstances when a franchisee renegotiates the level of subsidy upwards. [15182]
Mr. Watts:
The circumstances posed in the hon. Member's question have not arisen.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what investigations have so far been carried out into the derailment at Camden on 14 December 1995, and if he will make a statement. [15185]
Mr. Watts:
The railway has carried out an internal investigation. In addition, the Health and Safety Executive's railway inspectorate has conducted an independent investigation into this incident and is now considering whether further action is appropriate.
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