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Concessionary Travel
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the implications of the Wrekin decision of the European Court of Justice on retirement ages, for concessionary travel for pensioners in (a) Greater London and (b) the rest of the metropolitan countries. [32718]
Mr. Norris: The European Court of Justice has not yet given its judgment in the Atkins v. Wrekin district council and Department of Transport case. When it does we shall assess the implications.
Register of Shipping
Mr. Allason: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if entries on the British register of shipping indicate fully (a) the ownership of a vessel and (b) those with a title to the vessel. [32227]
Mr. Norris: The register of British ships records legal ownership. Title proof is required in respect of merchant ships and pleasure vessels on part I of the register, and of
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fishing vessels with full registration on part II of the register. Title proof is not required on part III--small ships--part IV--bareboat charter ships--or for fishing vessels with simple registration on part II of the register.
TREASURY
European Union
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish a White Paper on the same lines as the economic assessment published in February 1970 showing the gains and losses to the average British family resulting from membership of the EU. [31820]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: There are no plans to publish such an assessment.
Standard of Living
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the gains and losses to the standard of living in the United Kingdom of (a) abolishing the common agricultural policy, (b) ending contributions to the EU budget, (c) ending free trade with the EU and its associations and (d) taking control over (i) fishery and (ii) other resources. [32085]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: There are no plans to do so. Any such calculation would be very imprecise as it would require hypothetical assumptions to be made about the level of UK spending in the absence of contributions to, and receipts from, the Community budget; the policies which replaced those in the EU; the performance of the UK economy outside the Community; and the impact on trade outside the EU.
British Manufacturing and Research Company
Mr. Purchase: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the cost of the investigation into the BMARC affair; and if he will publish the findings of the investigation. [32199]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 11 June 1996]: To date, the direct costs of the Customs investigation into alleged breaches of UK export controls by BMARC have been approximately £20,000. This figure is based on the National Investigation Services' time recording system. The figure does not include costs incurred by departmental management and legal advice provided by departmental lawyers, or the costs of giving evidence to the Trade and Industry Committee. Customs inquiries are, however, not yet complete and decisions on the form of any announcement on the outcome of these inquiries will be taken at the appropriate time.
Alcohol Smuggling
Mr. Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on the harmonisation of taxes on beers, wines and spirits; and what is his assessment of the revenues lost to the Treasury through such smuggling in the latest year for which figures are available. [32542]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 12 June 1996]: Member states should be free to set excise duty rates at the level they feel are appropriate to their own
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particular circumstances, subject only to the agreed minimum rates. This was the basis of the agreement reached by all member states at ECOFIN on 19 October 1992. Nevertheless, the Government consider that there should be movement towards the approximation of excise duty rates across the EU, and that some steps in the direction of the UK pattern of indirect taxation makes sense. The mechanism for achieving this aim is through the Commission's biennial review of the minimum rates of excise duty, the next such review being due by the end of 1996.
Customs does not, at present, have a reliable estimate of the extent of cross-border smuggling of alcoholic products. It is liaising with the drinks industry with the aim of achieving an objective measurement.
Mr. Nicholas Winterton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of (a) the total value and (b) the total volume of the cross-border smuggling of (i) beer, (ii) wines and (iii) spirits in the latest year for which figures are available; and what value of smuggled goods was seized in that year. [32540]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 12 June 1996]: Customs does not at present have a reliable estimate of the extent of either the total volume or total value of cross-border smuggling of alcoholic products. It is liaising with the drinks and tobacco industry with the aim of achieving an objective measurement. The revenue value of intra-EU smuggling detected by excise verification officers in the year ending 31 March 1996 is shown in the table:
| Revenue value detected | |
|---|---|
| Category | (£ million) |
| Beer | 3.090 |
| Wine | 0.664 |
| Spirits | 4.312 |
Mr. Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received relating to the impact upon British companies and traders of cross-border smuggling of beers, wines and spirits; and what response he intends to make to those representations. [32541]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 12 June 1996]: The Chancellor receives many representations from the trade and other interested parties about the cross-border smuggling of alcoholic drinks and its consequential impact on legitimate UK trade. These representations are taken into account by the Chancellor when making his Budget decisions.
Customs has deployed excise verification officers to seek out and prosecute those engaged in smuggling activity. In addition, in November 1995 Customs, together with the various associations representing the industries concerned, formed an excise alliance for the purpose of developing a co-operative approach leading to the detection of smugglers and fraudsters, and to exchange high level information on excise smuggling and fraud matters.
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Computers (Millennium)
Mr. Ingram: To ask the Attorney-General what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [32675]
The Solicitor-General: The departments and agencies for which my right hon. and learned Friend is responsible are assessing the impact of the millennium date change.
In the case of the Treasury Solicitor's Department and Government Property Lawyers, no significant cost effects are expected.
The Serious Fraud Office estimates that several man months of work will be required to implement the change.
The Crown Prosecution Service has started a programme of work to assess the implications of the change but is not yet in a position to give an estimate of costs.
Mr. Ingram:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [32678]
Mr. Hanley:
In line with Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency recommendations, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomatic wing has completed a study to determine which of its computer systms will be affected by this problem. The findings show that approximately 60 per cent. of Foreign and Commonwealth Office computer systms will be affected in some way. Further study is now taking place to determine what the cost will be.
The Overseas Development Administration is updating its systems, most of which already recognise the year 2000.
Mr. Duncan Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Wilton Park agency performed against the targets which were agreed for 1995-96; and if targets have been agreed for the current year. [33275]
Mr. Hanley:
According to provisional figures which are subject to audit, Wilton Park exceeded all four of the agreed targets set for 1995-96 financial year, for the number of conference participants, income, cost recovery and cost per head to the FCO overall.
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