| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Fraud
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what inquiries to detect fraud by cross-checking his Department's payroll with details of those claiming benefit he has undertaken; when these exercises took place; and how many staff were (a) suspended, (b) dismissed and (c) prosecuted as a result. [37710]
Mr. Jack: The Treasury responds to inquiries made by the Benefits Agency where there are reasonable grounds for suspicion that an individual may be involved in benefit fraud. There have been no such cases among Treasury staff for at least the last five years.
Customs and Excise National Investigation Service
Mr. Denham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what were the conclusions of the fundamental expenditure review of the investigation division of Customs and Excise national investigation service on (a) the preferred location of the regional office to serve the Hampshire area and (b) the need for a fast response team to serve the Hampshire area. [36946]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory [holding answer 16 July 1996]: The fundamental expenditure review carried out on the investigation and intelligence functions of HM Customs and Excise recommended
"the creation of a National Investigation Service organised in regions".
The FER also stated:
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 528
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what expenditure has been incurred on seeking office accommodation for a regional office of the national investigation service in Hampshire. [36947]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 16 July 1996]: No expenses has been incurred in seeking office accommodation specifically in Hampshire. Minimal expenses has been incurred at national and regional level, in seeking options for accommodation to house the NIS staff, including those in the central south coast area.
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what sum was allocated for the acquisition of offices for a regional office of the national investigation service in Hampshire. [36948]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 16 July 1996]: No funds were specifically earmarked for any regional office. Implementation of the FER recommendations will take place using funds from the Department's capital allocation.
Mr. Denham:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the proposed location of the nearest regional office and fast response team of the national investigation service to parts of Portsmouth and Southampton. [36949]
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
[holding answer 16 July 1996]: The nearest NIS office and first specialist investigator response team will almost certainly be located in Shoreham.
Mr. Wilkinson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has estimated the cost to the Exchequer of running the competition for artists to design the reverse side of the eight denominations of the proposed Euro coinage as advertised in the Royal Mint's press release of 5 July. [37059]
Mrs. Angela Knight
[holding answer 16 July 1996]: The Royal Mint announced on 5 July the launch of the national heat of a EU-wide competition to design the common faces of Euro coins. The competition is not restricted to artists from countries which have said that they intend to adopt the single currency.
The total prize money being provided by the Royal Mint will amount to £6,000. In addition, the mint will commission a small number of designers and pay for the production of plaster models. These procedures and the level of prizes and fees are in line with the Royal Mint's normal procedures for selecting coin designs. The total administrative costs of running the competition are estimated to be about £35,000. The prizes for the European final of the competition will be financed from the European Community budget, towards which all European Union countries contribute.
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 529
The Government are committed to full involvement in preparations for economic and monetary union, including preparatory work on the single currency coinage, to protect the interests of the United Kingdom, including commercial opportunities for the Royal Mint and UK coin designers, whether or not the United Kingdom participates in the third stage of economic and monetary union.
Mr. Allen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will refer the ownership of road and rail transport in the midlands to the Director General of Fair Trading. [35962]
Mr. Watts:
My right hon. Friend has no powers to refer matters to the Director General of Fair Trading.
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has carried out on the reduction in the number of road accidents resulting from the opening of bypass schemes in Yorkshire in the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [36886]
Mr. Norris:
There have been five studies carried out on bypass schemes on trunk roads that have opened in Yorkshire in the last five years. Each of the studies covered the first year after the bypass opened. The change in the number of accidents following the opening of the bypasses was as follows:
The changes in accidents recorded in these studies in the first year after opening do not necessarily represent the longer-term accident trend on each bypass.
It is for local highway authorities to monitor accidents on non-trunk roads. My Department does not hold information on the reduction in the number of road accidents resulting from the opening of local authority bypass scheme in Yorkshire in the last five years.
Mr. McAvoy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much finance will be invested in the current financial year in the installation of intelligent transport system in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to advanced motorway control technology. [37552]
Mr. Watts:
I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Thomas McAvoy, dated 17 July 1996:
17 Jul 1996 : Column: 530
Mr. Steen:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the agencies for which his Department is responsible and the costs incurred by each for printing (a) all publications and (b) its annual report in the last year for which figures are available. [37473]
Mr. Norris:
The costs incurred by each of the Department's agencies in printing (a) all publications and (b) its annual report in 1995-96 are as follows:
"The process of "fast response" to detections by AS (Anti-Smuggling) staff will be streamlined to offer the immediate attendance of investigations to add value to every case where possible".
In the case of the central south coast area of England, the investigative first response team will almost certainly be based in Shoreham.
The accident record on the Market Weighton bypass primarily reflects problems at one particular junction which were identified and addressed at an early stage.
A65 Settle and Gigglewick Bypass: -1
A65 Addingham bypass: -3
A1079 Market Weighton bypass: +9
A650 Drighlington bypass: -8
A65 Draughton bypass: -1
The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your recent question regarding the level of expenditure in the current financial year on intelligent transport systems in the United Kingdom, with particular reference to advanced motorway control technology.
The Highways Agency only keeps information relating to motorways in England. However, we have obtained comparable information from colleagues in the Northern Ireland DoE and the Welsh and Scottish Offices which, taken together, indicate a total forecast expenditure for the United Kingdom in 1996/97 of £75.6m.
| (a) £ | (b) £ | |
|---|---|---|
| The Coastguard Agency | 86,652 | 8,330 |
| Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency | 108,059 | 8,715 |
| Driving Standards Agency | 3,885 | 1,042 |
| Highways Agency | n/a | 30,333 |
| Marine Safety Agency | 207,874 | 5,313 |
| Vehicle Certification Agency | 26,869 | 813 |
| Vehicle Inspectorate | 256,544 | 10,178 |
Information on total printing costs incurred by the Highways Agency is not available and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Statistical Forms
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the statistical forms issued to businesses by his Department and the number sent out of each. [37474]
Mr. Norris: The following regular statistical forms are sent to businesses by the Department of Transport.
| Title | Number of forms sent in 1995 |
|---|---|
| Continuing survey of road goods transport | 20,200 |
| Continuing international road haulage survey | 8,420 |
| Roll-on-roll-off goods vehicles | 140 |
| Local bus fares index | 440 |
| Public service vehicle operators' return | 1,930 |
| Ship owners' capital expenditure and international trade credit | 93 |
| Return of port traffic | 227 |
| Domestic waterborne freight | 25 |
| Overseas airlines' UK expenditure | 106 |
| Origins and destinations of UK international trade | (2)20,000 |
(2) This is a periodic survey previously carried out in 1978, 1987 and 1991, and now being carried out in 1996.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |