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Written Answers to Questions

Monday 1 April 1996

PRIME MINISTER

Government Policy (South-West)

Mr. Coe: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of arrangements for co-ordinating Government policy towards the south-west. [24461]

The Prime Minister: The Government office for the south-west already plays a valuable role in ensuring close dialogue between Government and the people, businesses and local representative bodies of the south-west. But this is the largest English region, and it has distinct identities and needs. In recognition of this, I have asked the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Urban Regeneration to act as a central co-ordinator of Government policy towards the south-west. Working with colleagues in the relevant Government Departments, my hon. Friend will take a close interest in the broad issues affecting the whole of the south-west, but will focus particularly on the concerns and interests of the peninsular counties of Devon and Cornwall.

Ministerial Reponsibility

Mr. Peter Atkinson: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement about ministerial responsibility for volunteering, the voluntary sector and charity matters. [24475]

The Prime Minister: In consultation with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage, I have decided that ministerial responsibility for:
Government co-ordination of policy on the voluntary sector including volunteering,
charity matters, including sponsorship of the charity commission grants to voluntary sector infra-structure bodies,
sponsorship of the National Lottery Charities Board, the Community Development Foundation and the Volunteering Partnership, should be transferred as soon as the necessary financial and other arrangements can be made from my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage. I have concluded that these matters will fit more appropriately within the framework of the responsibilities of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for National Heritage, who already has responsibility for other lottery distributors.

No. 10 Downing Street (Receptions)

Mr. Hall: To ask the Prime Minister who hosted the reception held at No. 10 Downing street on (a) 7 November 1994 and (b) Monday 6 November 1995. [23724]

The Prime Minister: My wife hosted a reception on 7 November 1994. There was no reception on 6 November 1995.

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EU Legislation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Prime Minister how many pieces of existing Community legislation have been repealed or amended in each of the past three years. [23698]

The Prime Minister: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Much new Council and Commission legislation supersedes, repeals or amends existing legislation.

Mr. Hall: To ask the Prime Minister which Ministers have hosted non-official party receptions of functions in No. 10 Downing street since July 1993. [23605]

The Prime Minister: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has hosted three receptions since July 1993.

Mr. Hall: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list all the functions for industrialists held at No. 10 Downing street which were attended by the chairman of the Conservation party since November 1990. [23777]

The Prime Minister: As far as I am aware, none.

Iraq

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he will bring forward to the international community to address health problems among the population of Iraq. [23757]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 29 March 1996]: United Nations Security Council resolution 986 is designed to bring much-needed relief to the people of Iraq by permitting the sale of oil to purchase more humanitarian supplies. Iraq has so far refused to implement the resolution. We, and a number of other countries, already give substantial support to humanitarian projects in Iraq, many of which specifically address health needs. Food and medical supplies are not subject to United Nations sanction.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Mr. Bermingham: To ask the Minister if he will make it his policy to compensate fully any person who has contracted CJD from beef since 1989. [23602]

The Prime Minister [holding answer 29 March 1996]: Any claim for compensation would be considered within the framework of the Government's legal obligations.

TREASURY

Capital Projects (Voluntary Contributions)

Mrs. Anne Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make voluntary contributions to capital projects tax deductible. [21879]

Mr. Jack: Voluntary contributions to capital projects will commonly be tax deductible under the present system. For instance, a person who, for the purposes of his or his tenant's trade, contributes towards another's capital expenditure can generally claim capital allowances on that contribution. And businesses can have a deduction in calculating business profits for tax purposes for

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contributions to a capital project if the expenditure is revenue in nature and incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes.

Contracts

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidelines are currently in force in his Department and its executive agencies relating to competitive tendering and the use of single negotiated tenders; on what grounds single negotiated tenders can be used; and what procedures are in place within his Department to ensure that the use of single negotiated tenders in competitive tendering processes is justified in all cases. [22860]

Mrs. Angela Knight: It is Treasury policy that all contracts to be placed by the Department with a potential value of over £10,000 should be the subject of a competitive under tender. The Government's public purchasing policy consolidated guidelines require goods and services to be acquired by competition unless there are convincing reasons to the contrary, such as (a) the requirement cannot be sufficiently defined so that normal tendering procedures cannot be adopted; (b) there are insufficient firms in the market capable or willing to bid; (c) intellectual property rights restrict the options available; or (d) extreme urgency, where for example public safety is at risk. All competitive tenders are processed by the Department's purchasing unit. Cases for single tendering are put to the unit where they are evaluated on an individual basis, following the guidelines.

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many contracts for goods or services have been awarded by his Department and executive agencies on the basis of single negotiated contracts in each of the last three years; if he will list the companies involved and the value of the contract in each case; what percentage this represented of contracts awarded by his Department and its agencies after competitive tendering; and, in each case, why the contracts were awarded on the basis of a single negotiated tender. [22872]

Mrs. Knight: It is Treasury policy that all purchases made by the Department should be subject to competition. Each exception is treated on its merits. Individual contracts would each need to be checked to determine the overall number in this category, the value of each such contract and the reason why it was awarded on a single course basis. This information could be made available only at disproportionate cost.

Manufacturing Exports

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures for United Kingdom exports of manufactures in the form of the first three lines of the table in page 31 of the March OECD main economic indicators. [22959]

Mrs. Angela Knight: The best available estimates of values of UK exports of manufactures in US dollars at 1991 prices can be made from information available from the CSO database which may be accessed by the House of Commons Library.

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Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total cost of answering parliamentary questions in each parliamentary Session since 1989-90. [22902]

Mrs. Angela Knight: The estimated cost of answering questions to Treasury Ministers is given in the list:
1989-90: £219,000
1990-91: £164,000
1991-92: £104,000
1992-93: £342,000
1993-94: £208,000
1994-95: £256,000.

These figures are based on service-wide average costs and assume that half the questions tabled for oral answer were in fact answered in writing.

EDS Software

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what out-sourcing contracts his agencies have with the EDS software computer system; what is the current cost; when the contract ends; what are the penalties involved should he seek early termination of the contract; and if he will make a statement. [23740]

Mrs. Angela Knight: None of these agencies holds out-sourcing contracts with the EDS software computer system.

Mr. Redmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the terms of contract the Inland Revenue has with the EDS computer system; and if he will make a statement. [23718]

Mr. Jack: I am unable, on the ground of commercial confidentiality, to give any details of specific provisions contained with the contract between Inland Revenue and EDS.

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