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Scott Inquiry

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Lord President of the Council when he first consulted other Cabinet Ministers about the contents of the report of the Scott inquiry; and where and when such discussions took place and with whom. [16519]

Mr. Newton: It is not the practice to give details of ministerial meetings.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Lord President of the Council how many (a) oral and (b) written parliamentary questions have appeared on the Order Paper in each of the last 30 years.

28 Feb 1996 : Column: 541

Mr. Newton: The information requested is in the following table:

House of Commons parliamentary questions

Session	Orals total	Written total
1964-65	10,878	8,270
1965-66(3)	4,332	3,646
1966-67(4)	17,014	16,951
1967-68	11,309	13,601
1968-69	10,721	12,743
1969-70(3)	7,914	9,546
1970-71(4)	13,646	20,300
1971-72	11,108	17,486
1972-73	7,781	17,950
1973-74(3)	2,363	6,387
1974-(3)	3,783	11,753
1974-75	9,215	27,843
1975-76	9,081	33,239
1976-77(3)	6,463	25,076
1977-78	9,046	28,739
1978-79(3)	4,699	13,152
1979-80(4)	12,453	39,112
1980-81	8,175	22,688
1981-82	8,991	23,439
1982-83(3)	6,125	17,095
1983-84(4)	13,386	40,119
1984-85	14,800	31,523
1985-86	18,139	31,808
1986-87(3)	12,766	21,331
1987-88(4)	24,940	47,726
1988-89	23,932	39,540
1989-90	24,687	41,358
1990-91	4,821	32,843
1991-92(3)	2,383	16,050
1992-93(4)	7,134	56,550
1993-94	4,559	41,051
1994-95	4,903	44,924

(3) Unusually short session.

(4) Unusually long session.

From 1972-73 Members were limited to one oral question per Minister. Priority written questions were introduced in the 1972-73 Session.

TREASURY

Tax Allowances

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the savings for each of the next five financial years if (a) the additional value of tax allowances for (i) single and (ii) married pensioners was frozen at the current rate and (b) the allowance was frozen and remained in force only for current pensioners. [15196]

Mr. Jack: An indication of the effects of reducing the additional value of age-related personal allowances and of denying age-related allowances to those who are currently aged below 65 is given in the table. The figures are set at 1996-97 levels and, as an illustrative assumption, the increases in the retail prices index is taken to be 2¼ per cent. for the first year and 2 per cent. in subsequent years. The full-year cost of the age-related component of personal allowances is estimated to be about £960 million at 1996-97 income levels.

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Estimated full year yields(£ million)

Year after the change	Age allowance frozen at current rate	Age allowance frozen and available only for those aged over 65 in year 0
1	70	140
2	140	260
3	200	380
4	260	500
5	330	620

Departmental Sickness Cover

Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what procedures are followed by his Department to ensure that when employees fall ill, their functions are fulfilled by other officials. [16197]

Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 20 February 1996]: When staff are absent from work through illness, any urgent work will be carried out by colleagues within the team. Where it appears that a member of staff will be absent for a prolonged period, the line manager either rearranges the day-to-day work of the team to cover the duties of the absent officer, or puts in a temporary replacement depending on the functions involved.

Reinvestment Relief

Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many decisions by local inspectors of taxes on qualifying companies for reinvestment relief have been disallowed by senior tax inspectors; and if he will list those companies that have been declared as not qualifying for reinvestment relief. [17136]

Mr. Jack: Normally, if Inland Revenue has accepted a claim for tax relief, it will not be withdrawn in respect of that particular claim. It is investors, not companies, that qualify for reinvestment relief.

Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many taxpayers have had their reinvestment relief disallowed to date. [17138]

Mr. Jack: The information requested is not collected centrally.

VAT (Sanitary Protection Products)

Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has had in relation to the imposition of VAT at 17.5 per cent. on sanitary protection products for women; what response he has made; what action he is taking; what was the yield of the tax on these products in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [16347]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 27 February 1996]: Because VAT is intended to be a broad-based tax on consumer expenditure generally, sanitary protection products for women have been taxed at the standard rate

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from the outset. The revenue yield is approximately £35 million a year. Around 160 representations for tax relief have been received since April 1995.

Since the last Labour Government agreed with other EU member states in 1977 that the UK would not extend the scope of its existing zero-rates, there is no possibility now of zero-rating these products.

Mortgage Endowment Policies

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has evaluated from the major sellers of mortgage endowment policies in respect of estimates of shortfalls of individual policies to meet mortgage commitments. [17476]

Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 27 February 1996]: The Treasury has carried out no such research. If individual policy holders have concerns, they should review their policy with the issuer of their mortgage endowment policy.

Landfill Tax

Mrs. Helen Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) who will define the types of waste which qualify for the £2 rate as inert or inactive waste under the proposed landfill tax; and by what mechanisms disputes over the definitions will be resolved; [16918]

(2) if he will list the types of waste described under the waste classification scheme which will qualify as inert or inactive waste under the proposed landfill tax. [16917]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 27 February 1996]: Customs and Excise recently carried out a consultation exercise on the scope of the lower rate of landfill tax, which ended on 31 January. The consultation exercise was carried out on a proposal to link the lower rate of tax to wastes listed in category 1 of the proposed UK waste classification scheme, on which the Department of the Environment consulted at the same time.

I expect to receive a report shortly following an analysis by Customs and Excise in consultation with other interested Government Departments. An announcement of the outcome will be made in due course. A list of the wastes that will qualify for the lower rate of landfill tax will be set out in a Treasury order, which will be laid before the House in the summer.

On disputes, the current Finance Bill provides for reviews, and appeals to an independent tribunal by tax payers against decisions by customs relating to tax liability.

Income Tax (Pensioners)

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioner households paid income tax in Wales at the latest available date. [17587]

Mr. Jack: Income tax is calculated on the basis of individuals. There are around 500,000 individuals in Wales aged 65 years or over. According to the 1993-94 survey of personal incomes, 130,000 or 26 per cent. of these are taxpayers.

28 Feb 1996 : Column: 544

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

Ministerial Accountability

Mrs. Clwyd: To ask the Attorney-General, pursuant to paragraph K8.1 of the Scott report relating to ministerial accountability, what additional measures he proposes to ensure his Department's compliance with paragraph 27 of "Questions of Procedure for Ministers". [17302]

The Attorney-General [holding answer 26 February 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the speech made by my hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 26 February, Official Report, columns 589-606.

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