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VAT

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the statutory authority for the imposition of value added tax on advance payments for (a) services and (b) goods; and if he will make a statement. [29642]

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: Section 6 of the Value Added Tax Act 1994 provides that tax is due when a VAT invoice is issued, or when any payment is received in respect of a taxable supply made by a VAT registered trader if this happens in advance of performance of the service or delivery of the goods concerned.

Education Trusts

Mr. Byers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many education trusts have been established by parents. [28927]

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Mr. Jack [holding answer 14 May 1996]: I assume the hon. Member has in mind the educational trusts whose charitable status has recently been under review. There are six such trusts, which operate school fee plans for parents and other investors.

Savings Income

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy for taxation of income from savings; and if he will make a statement. [28545]

Mr. Jack [holding answer 16 May 1996]: The Govnerment have introduced a number of measures to encourage and reward savers. In his last Budget, my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor reduced the tax charge on savings income for basic rate taxpayers to 20 per cent. We have also built on the success of targeted savings incentives such as PEPs and TESSAs. Latest figures show that, by March 1995, nearly 6.5 million PEP subscriptions--general and single company PEPs--had been made, totalling over £22 billion. By September 1995, there were nearly 4.5 million TESSAs in existence, representing over £27 billion of savings. Last year, we extended the PEP scheme to allow a wider range of investments, such as corporate bonds, and savers whose TESSAs have matured can now re-invest the whole capital from their first account in a follow-up TESSA for a further five years. Further generous tax reliefs continue to be available to people who save for their retirement by joining tax-approved occupational or personal pension schemes. This year's Finance Act includes a number of improvements to the tax-relieved employee share schemes that are designed to encourage more employees to participate in the success of the companies for which they work.

Income Tax Reductions

Mr. Harry Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average amount of recent tax reductions to the individual taxpayer (a) for the month of April and (b) for the coming financial year; and if he will make a statement. [28649]

Mr. Jack [holding answer 16 May 1996]: On average, taxpayers will pay more than £13 less income tax in April ¹ and £190 less income tax in 1996-97.

¹ The figure for April is less than one twelfth of the annual figure because tax cuts come into effect only on 5 April 1996.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Permanent Secretary (Applications)

Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many applications for the post of permanent secretary to the Welsh Office have been received; how many people other than those applying have been approached by the executive selection agency; and when he expects to make the announcement of the appointment. [29939]

Mr. Freeman: It is not the practice of the civil service commissioners to give details of a competition while it is in progress. Relevant information is published in their annual report. It is hoped that an announcement will be made about the appointment towards the end of June.

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EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

Careers Service

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what change has taken place in the definition of the key client group of the careers service since its contracting out. [29708]

Mr. Paice: There has been no change.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures she will take to protect the interests of local education authorities following the contracting out of the careers service, with particular reference to strategic planning. [29707]

Mr. Paice: The duty to provide careers services in England was transferred to the Secretary of State from local education authorities by section 45 of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993. Provision of a careers service is no longer an LEA duty. However, in the majority of the new careers service companies, local education authorities are involved in the partnerships.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what safeguards her Department took in respect of a possible conflict of interest when the careers service inspector who drew up the guidelines for the content and quality of bids for the careers service for the Bolton, Bury and Rochdale area took employment with the Nord Anglia careers service company; and if she will make a statement. [29705]

Mr. Paice: Guidelines for the assessment of the quality and content of bids for careers service contracts are of national application and were decided centrally. The individual to whom the hon. Member refers advised on some aspects of their development and only as part of a team. The Department was aware of his intention to seek alternative employment before his contract expired and took positive steps to ensure that he had no involvement with the contract negotiations for new services.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if she will make a statement on the future role of the careers service inspectorate. [29709]

Mr. Paice: Since the enactment of the Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993, the role of the careers service inspectorate--led by the chief inspector--has been to establish arrangements for assessing the performance of careers services against the standards set by the Secretary of State. This includes developing and managing a process for auditing careers services' quality management systems, the direct assessment of aspects of careers service performance and reporting to the Secretary of State on whether the statutory duty has been met. There are no plans to change this role.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what safeguards her Department took in respect of the possibility of a conflict of interest when the official who had been the point of contact between the Government office north-west and bidders for the careers service for the Bolton, Bury and Rochdale area took early retirement and a job with Nord Anglia careers service company; and if she will make a statement. [29703]

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Mr. Paice: All civil servants, including those who have recently left the civil service, are subject to standard terms and conditions which cover their subsequent employment outside the civil service. The official in question has notified the Government office for the north-west that she has been offered a job with Nord Anglia Ltd., and she is currently seeking clearance before taking up this appointment.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to ensure stable long-term funding for the careers service. [29711]

Mr. Paice: The Department's 1996 departmental report shows the Government's intention to invest in excess of £200 million per annum on the careers service to 1998-99. Plans for funding in future years will depend on the outcome of the annual public expenditure survey.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what provision her Department has made to preserve the objectivity and impartiality of the careers service following its contracting out. [29706]

Mr. Paice: Careers services are contractually bound to provide their services in an impartial and unbiased way. The careers service inspectorate--led by the chief inspector--has established arrangements for assessing the performance of careers services against these and other standards set by the Secretary of State.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what monitoring is carried out of career guidance standards (a) nationally and (b) locally; and if she will make a statement. [29702]

Mr. Paice: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State sets the requirements for careers guidance provided by careers services in the requirements and guidance for careers service providers and other documentation. The requirements and guidance for providers specifies the need for all services to have a quality management system, which is monitored locally by staff in Government offices within a national system developed by the chief inspector of careers services. The chief inspector also manages a programme of inspections of aspects of the guidance process in a nation sample of services. The findings of both local and national monitoring are set out in the chief inspector's annual report on the careers service to the Secretary of State, a copy of which is placed in the Library.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans she has to ensure that the careers service caters to the needs of adults. [29710]

Mr. Paice: The Trade Union Reform and Employment Rights Act 1993 provides that adults in full-time education and part-time vocational education, except higher education are in the careers service client group.

Mr. Eastham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations she has received about the bidding process for the careers service for the Bolton, Bury and Rochdale area. [29704]

Mr. Paice: Letters from two Members of Parliament were received by the Secretary of State in support of a partnership bid by the two local education authorities and

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training and enterprise council that cover the Bolton and Bury bidding area in the third round of competitive tendering for the provision of careers services in England.

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