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TREASURY
Small Businesses
Mr. David Shaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the impact of (a) his policies and (b) the work of his Department in helping small businesses in the past 12 months as against the previous 12 months; and if he will publish the performance indicators by which his Department monitors the impact and the statistical results of such monitoring. [39150]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Government recognise the crucial role played by small firms in the UK economy and aim to help them by providing sound economic conditions--keeping inflation and interest rates low; reducing legislative administration and taxation burdens; and, where appropriate, provide direct assistance in the form of specialist advice and support and easing access to finance.
Particular Budget measures aimed to boost small businesses include: cutting the small companies rate of corporate tax and the basic rate of income tax; reducing employers' national insurance contributions from April 1997; reducing the qualifying age for capital gains tax retirement relief; improving transitional relief for smaller properties whose rates bill are rising following the 1995 revaluation; reducing class 4 national insurance contributions by the self-employed and withdrawing the 50 per cent. tax relief from these contributions; increasing the VAT threshold; introducing a deregulation package; and introducing a tax code rewritten in simple user-friendly language.
These measures build on last year's package to costs job cuts and ease access to finance.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average working weeks per year for a transport worker in (a) the road transport industry, (b) the rail industry, (c) the aviation industry and (d) the maritime industry currently and 10 years ago. [39396]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
Available information on average weekly hours worked by industry is given in the new earnings survey, part C, tables 54 and 57, for 1986 and 1995, a copy of which is in the House Library.
Ms Hodge:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff were employed full time or part time (a) to provide information and publicity and (b) on press and media in (i) 1995-96; (ii) 1994-95 and (iii) 1993-94; [39412]
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Mrs. Angela Knight:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Mr. Clapham:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will take to improve the United Kingdom's economic performance relative to other OECD countries. [37661]
Mr. Hoyle:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he will take to improve the United Kingdom's economic performance relative to other OECD countries. [37686]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The Government's policies will continue to deliver a stable macro-economic environment and efficient markets. These policies have been very successful. The UK is now performing better against its main competitors. We have enjoyed a stronger recovery since 1992 than any other major European economy, and the OECD expects us to grow significantly faster than Germany, France and Italy in both 1996 and 1997.
Mr. Touhig:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's economic performance in 1995. [37662]
Mrs. Knight:
Last year, the UK economy continued its run of healthy growth, low inflation, falling unemployment and declining Government borrowing, and we were able to reduce taxes in the 1995 Budget, thanks to firm control of public spending.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 27 June to the hon. Member for Southport (Mr. Banks), Official Report, columns 234-35, if he will list the cost for each financial year from 1996-97 to 1998-99 of (a) the compensation arrangements to farmers for cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (b) the payments to slaughterhouses for handling cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (c) payments to renderers for handling cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (d) the cost of storage, prior to incineration, of the rendered remains of cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (e) the cost of incineration of the remains of cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (f) the calf slaughter premium, (g) the package of aid for the renderers, (h) the package of aid for the abattoirs, (i) the package of aid to the cutting industries, (j) the feed recall scheme and (k) the additional running costs for the agriculture departments; and if he will list where applicable the net EU contribution for each measure, taking account of both the UK's contribution to additional EU spending and the effect of additional receipts on the UK abatement. [38803]
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Mr. Kenneth Clarke:
The figures are given to the nearest million pounds in the table. Where applicable, the net EU contribution is given between parentheses.
(2) how many staff are assumed in his Department's budget, employed (i) full time and (ii) part time, (a) to work on press and media and (b) to provide information and publicity in 1996-97. [39385]
| Measure | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) compensation arrangements to farmers for cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain | 455 (153) | 455 (213) | 455 (47) |
| (b) payments to slaughterhouses for handling cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (c) payments to renderers for handling cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (d) the cost of storage, prior to incineration of the remains of cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain, (e) cost of incineration of the remains of cattle over 30 months of age which cannot now enter the food chain(37) | 120 | 120 | 120 |
| (f) calf slaughter premium | 50 (36) | 50 (18) | 50 (14) |
| (g) package of aid for the renderers | 118 | 59 | 0 |
| (h) package of aid for the abattoirs, (i) package of aid to the cutting industries(38) | 120 | 0 | 0 |
| (j) feed recall scheme | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| (k) additional running costs for the agriculture departments | 60 | 61 | 60 |
| (l) other miscellaneous BSE expenditure including top up payments on prime beef, beef stocks disposal schemes and compensation and destruction of young bulls in Northern Ireland | 108 | 3 | 0 |
| Total cost | 1,037 | 748 | 685 |
These figures and the figures for the net EU contribution and the net cost to the UK taxpayer are unchanged from those given on 27 June (Official Report, columns 234-235).
(37) A break down of the costs of slaughter, rendering, storage and disposal of animals under the over 30 month scheme could only be carried out at present at disproportionate cost.
(38) A breakdown of the two costs could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Competitiveness
Mr. Bill Walker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what role his Department is playing in improving the United Kingdom's competitiveness. [37665]
Mr. Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the policies of his Department can make on the competitiveness of the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [37675]
Mrs. Angela Knight: As the third competitiveness White Paper shows, the Government have created a climate where competitiveness can flourish based on an economy where interest rates are now at historically low levels, inflation has been below 4 per cent. for the longest period for nearly 50 years, corporation tax is among the lowest for major industrialised countries and public finances are under tight control.
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Private Finance Initiative
Sir Irvine Patnick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on progress with the PFI in Yorkshire. [37664]
Mr. Jack: Detailed information on the progress of the PFI by region is not held centrally. However, Yorkshire has a successful track record of agreed PFI deals. The Royal Armouries in Leeds was one of the first PFI projects and makes an important contribution to the success and prosperity of the city. the £50 million project for St. James's hospital in Leeds was announced on 29 January 1996 and is a pioneering project in the health sector. The region will also benefit from deals in the transport sector such as the M1-A1 link road. Other PFI projects for the region, including transport and office accommodation projects, are currently being developed.
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