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Civil Service
Mr. McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps will be taken to ensure that senior posts in the Northern Ireland civil service are subject to open competition. [17896]
Sir John Wheeler: It is the policy of the Northern Ireland civil service, when filling senior posts, to consider the appropriateness of open competition for all posts. In 1995, more than 50 per cent. of senior posts were filled through open competition.
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Tree Preservation Orders (Fines)
Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the maximum fine for cutting down a tree which has a tree preservation order (a) in Northern Ireland and (b) in England; and what plans he has to increase the fine in Northern Ireland. [18265]
Mr. Moss: In Northern Ireland, contravention of a tree preservation order can, on summary conviction, attract a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, which is currently £5,000. In England, the statutory maximum is
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also level 5, or twice the sum which appears to the court to be the value of the tree, whichever is the greater. There are no plans to increase the maximum fine in Northern Ireland at present.
TREASURY
Reinvestment Relief
Mr. Barry Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make the criteria for reinvestment relief more easily comprehensible. [17137]
Mr. Jack: The Inland Revenue is preparing a help sheet on investment relief as part of the work being done to assist taxpayers with their self-assessment returns. The Revenue is also exploring ways in which further help can be given in this area.
Statistics (Gender Breakdown)
Ms Jowell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to collect statistics broken down by gender where relevant. [17691]
Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 29 February 1996]: Statistics collected by the Central Statistical Office--CSO--are designed to improve decision making, stimulate research and inform debate within government and the wider community. Where it is relevant to this purpose to collect statistics broken down by gender, the CSO will consider doing so. For example, last year, to coincide with the world women's conference in Beijing, the CSO published "Social Focus on Women", which provided statistics on women from a wide variety of sources.
Statistics concerning staff employed in the Treasury are normally based on pay and personnel records, which include information on sex. Statistical information about personnel can therefore usually be broken down by sex.
Arms Exports
Mr. Alfred Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information the Bank of England holds about the financing by British banks, using their customers' balances, of arms supplied to Iraq and Iran; which British banks were involved; what proportion of such financing went on the supply of Valmara 69 anti-personnel land mines; and if he will make a statement. [17973]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 29 February 1996]: To the best of its knowledge, the Bank of England holds no information about the financing by British banks of exports of lethal equipment, including anti-personnel land mines, to Iraq or Iran.
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 21 February, Official Report, column 156, if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum of understanding between the US and United Kingdom of 6 July 1989 on customs co-operation. [18532]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Yes. A copy has been placed in the Library.
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Gambling (Taxation)
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instigate a review of the level of taxation on different forms of gambling. [18477]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: The levels of taxation on different forms of gambling are considered annually by my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in reaching his Budget judgment.
Waste
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the suitability of using the waste classification system proposed by the Department of the Environment to allocate particular waste streams to the different landfill tax bands. [19139]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Two hundred and twenty-four representations were received in response to Customs and Excise's recent consultation exercise on scope of the lower rate of landfill tax. These are being analysed and the findings will be submitted to Ministers shortly.
Customs consulted on a proposal that all wastes falling within category 1, the inactive category, of the Department of the Environment's national waste classification scheme should be liable to the lower rate of landfill tax. Nevertheless, there are wastes currently listed in other categories of the scheme where the risk of pollution is minimal. We will consider such cases in the light of the replies to the consultation exercise. An announcement will be made in due course and the order containing the list of items to be included in the lower rate will be laid during the summer.
Barlow Clowes
Ms Lynne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken by his Department to improve the regulation of the financial industry since the publication of his Department's inquiry into the Barlow Clowes financial fraud case. [18322]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Department of Trade and Industry inspectors' report was published in July 1995, but the Government did not wait until then to address the regulatory issues raised by the Barlow Clowes case. Barlow Clowes operated under the Prevention of Fraud (Investments) Act 1958. The deficiencies of that regulatory regime were recognised when it was replace by the Financial Services Act--FSA--1986. The introduction of the FSA saw an improvement in investor protection: it raised requirements for authorisation and widened the categories of business for which firms required authorisation. Following the review in May 1993 by Andrew Large of the role and functions of the Securities and Investments Board, greater emphasis was given to investor protection by using all the available enforcement powers. More recent developments, such as the new training and competence regime, have also played their part. As a consequence of these changes, the additional protections suggested by the report have, where appropriate, already been made available.
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Post Office (External Financing Limit)
Mr. Hain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the formula used by the Treasury to determine the Post Office external financing limit. [18847]
Mr. Waldegrave: The Post Office external financing limit is set, as part of the annual public expenditure survey, at a level which reflects an appropriate balance between the needs of the Post Office's business and its ability to contribute to public finances.
DUCHY OF LANCASTER
Civil Servants
Mr. Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what proportion of staff employed in the home civil service are (a) women, (b) people of ethnic minority origin and (c) disabled people. [19445]
Mr. Freeman: I have published today the second in a series of annual data summaries on equal opportunities in the civil service. The Government are committed to equality of opportunity for all people. Figures show improvements in the representation of women and members of ethnic minorities and, for the first time, include information on registered and non-registered disabled staff. Copies of the data summary have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
"Getting a Good Deal in Europe"
Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements he has introduced to monitor the implementation of the guidance contained in the booklet "Getting a Good Deal in Europe". [18633]
Mr. Freeman: Departmental Ministers are responsible for ensuring that the guidance in the booklet "Getting a Good Deal in Europe" is applied in their Departments.
Capita Group
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list all those (a) facilities management consortiums, (b) private finance initiative bids, (c) management buyout consortiums, (d) contractorisation schemes and (e) market testing schemes in each Department in respect of which the Capita Group is currently involved in bidding. [19177]
Mr. Freeman: There are none in the Cabinet Office. Information about other Departments is not held centrally.
Civil Service Pensions
Mr. Derek Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will make a statement on discussions held between his Department and that of the Paymaster General regarding the impact of the prior options review of Paymaster on the administration and payment of civil service pensions. [19055]
Mr. Freeman: My right hon. Friend the Paymaster General announced on 4 December 1995 the start of a prior options review of the Paymaster agency, with a focus on options for moving the agency into the private sector.
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