20 Feb 1996 : Column: 53
Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 20 February 1996
LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT
Departmental Suppliers
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to ensure that his Department identifies the size of its suppliers by the number of their employees. [15600]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The Department intends to carry out a survey of its existing suppliers by the end of February and, thereafter, to ask potential new suppliers if they will provide information about the number of employees.
Wakefield Crown Court
Mr. Hinchliffe: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the number of occasions on which the former Wakefield Crown court building has been used for (a) judicial and (b) other purposes since its formal closure. [16052]
Mr. Jonathan Evans: The question concerns a specific operational matter on which the chief executive of the Court Service is best placed to provide an answer, and I have accordingly asked the chief executive to reply direct.
Letter from M. D. Huebner to Mr. David Hinchliffe, dated 20 February 1996:
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department has asked me to reply to your Question about Wakefield Crown Court.
Since its closure on 3 April 1993, the former Wakefield Crown Court has been used by Leeds County Court for judicial sittings on a total of 262 occasions.
Statutory Instruments
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will cause to be printed on the face of statutory instruments as an addition to the explanatory note the relevant compliance cost assessment where it is no greater than 10 per cent. of the length of the instrument itself. [15580]
Mr. Roger Freeman: I have been asked to reply.
The Government require a compliance cost assessment to accompany all statutory instruments having an impact on business, charities and voluntary organisations when they are presented to Parliament and for the explanatory note to contain a note that an assessment is available and where it can be obtained. I am satisfied that this is sufficient to ensure that compliance cost assessments on statutory instruments are generally available.
20 Feb 1996 : Column: 54
National Collection of Contemporary Accounts
Mr. Elletson: To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what plans she has to encourage the establishment of a national collection of contemporary accounts on film and tape of people's memories, attitudes and experiences. [16382]
Mr. Sproat: This is an important idea. I am taking it forward. I have written to organisations with major holdings of such material to ask what material of this kind currently exists and for their views on the scope for establishing a national collection.
TREASURY
Inland Revenue
Mr. David Nicholson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what obligation the Inland Revenue has to provide taxpayers with (a) a copy of its charter and (b) a copy of its (i) working manual and (ii) other documents describing taxpayers' rights and expectations of service standards with particular reference to the valuation of premises for business rates. [15443]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The valuation of premises for business rates is carried out by the Valuation Office, an executive agency of the Inland Revenue. It has produced a charter standard statement, copies of which are available free of charge at the reception area in all its offices. In addition, a copy of the charter is sent to all taxpayers at the commencement of correspondence.
The charter describes taxpayers' rights, sets out the standard of service they can expect and how to complain if they are dissatisfied.
Working manuals are available to the public under the open government initiative. The Valuation Office has produced a leaflet entitled "Open Government", again freely available, which sets out details of how information can be obtained.
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 January, column 418, on pension splitting and divorce, if he will set out the basis of his calculation of the cost of pension splitting to unfunded public services schemes in 1997. [11042]
Mr. Waldegrave:
If pensions were split with the scheme member's ex-spouse taking a transfer value out, this would bring forward pensions benefit costs and reduce future liabilities. The potential net costs to unfunded public service schemes given in the earlier answer relate to this change. They assume splitting of accrued pension rights equally and payment of a transfer value from the scheme at the time of divorce in all new divorce cases involving current, but not former, employees who are members of these schemes. They also assume divorce rates by age derived from information for the three years 1991 to 1993. The figures take no account of administration costs.
20 Feb 1996 : Column: 55
Mrs. Fyfe:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate for the winter months this year and last year of (a) income to the Treasury from VAT on domestic fuel and (b) expenditure on cold weather payments. [15375]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 19 February 1996]: Estimated income from VAT on domestic fuel was about £700 million during the period October 1994 to March 1995. The figure for this winter is not yet available.
So far this winter, 7.3 million cold weather payments totalling more than £62 million have been made.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who is on the working party on financial management; how often it will meet; when its first meeting will be; and what is its remit. [15593]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The private sector-led group includes representatives of small firms organisations, accountancy bodies, banks and academia. The first meeting was held on 12 February and the group will meet as and when required in order to fulfil its remit. The group is considering whether it can identify ways of improving financial management in small firms.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions his Department has come to with regard to the financial management certificate following the consultation period. [15594]
Mrs. Knight:
Almost all the respondents were of the view that financial management within small firms was a significant problem, but a majority of small firms' representatives expressed concerns that a financial management certificate could impose an additional burden on small businesses. There was, however, considerable support for the idea of having a working group to look at other solutions to the problem, and this has been set up.
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the submissions his Department received on a financial management certificate. [15595]
Mrs. Knight:
I have arranged for respondents to the consultation document to be contacted for their agreement to the publication of their replies.
Mr. Hicks:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the estimated value of exports by business enterprises located in Cornwall on the basis of figures compiled by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; and if he will make a statement. [15612]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
The location of the business enterprise making an export is not held by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise; only the address registered for VAT purposes is available, which may be at a different location within the UK. Consequently, regional analyses of the trade statistics are not produced, and information relating to the value of exports by business enterprises located in Cornwall is not available.
20 Feb 1996 : Column: 56
Mrs. Roche:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ensure that his Department identifies the size of its suppliers by the number of their employees. [15604]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The Treasury follows the good procurement practice laid down in the White Paper "Setting New Standards", Cm 2840, published in May 1995. The aim should always be to award contracts to the supplier who will provide the best value for money for any purchase.
Sir Peter Tapsell:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February. [14735]
Mr. Harry Greenway:
To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Tuesday 20 February. [14736]
The Prime Minister:
This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall be having further meetings later today.
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