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Heads of Government Summit

Sir Anthony Durant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his policy regarding the proposals contained in recommendation 1303 (1996) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe relating to a second summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe; and if he will make a statement. [2205]

Mr. David Davis: We accept that a second summit would serve a useful purpose. We expect a decision on whether or not to hold such a summit in the second half of 1997 in Strasbourg to be made at the 99th session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 7 November. We take full note of the items listed in recommendation 1303 (1996) as potential elements for a draft declaration following a second summit, but we believe that any draft text should evolve after further consideration by member states, in consultation with the Parliamentary Assembly.

Deregulation

Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what regulations his Department proposes to repeal by the end of 1996; if he proposes to conduct a compliance cost assessment on each regulation repealed; and what is the estimated cost of undertaking a compliance cost assessment to determine the advantages and disadvantages of each repeal. [1396]

Mr. Hanley: This Department issues very few rules and regulations. There are no plans to repeal any rules or regulations by the end of 1996.

Morwenstowe Interception Station, Bude

Mr. Madden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what classification and status the Morwenstowe interception station at Bude in Cornwall has been given; at what cost it was built; who paid for it; who owns the radomes and equipment; what flags it flies; how many personnel work there and from what organisations; and if he will identify the name, nationality and employer of its commander. [2154]

Mr. Rifkind: The composite signals organisation station at Morwenstowe is directly subordinate to GCHQ. It is Government policy not to provide details about the operations or expenditure of the security and intelligence agencies, or about their staff.

Lockerbie

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Foreign Minister of South Africa in respect of Lockerbie. [2416]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor: None.

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Millennium Date Change

Mr. Ingram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the cost effects of the millennium date change on the computer systems operated by his Department. [2615]

Mr. Hanley: In line with central guidance, this Department has completed an initial study which shows that up to 60 per cent. of its software applications may be affected. Further study is taking place to determine the risks and costs. The Overseas Development Administration is taking similar action. We estimate that all problems will be resolved and that systems will be fully 2000-resilient by 31 March 1999.

Argentina

Mr. Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers authorised the reassessment of the military embargo against Argentina which led to the supply of naval engine parts; and which Ministers were informed of the outcome of this reassessment and when. [1065]

Sir Nicholas Bonsor [holding answer 29 October 1996]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement in this House on 24 October by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary and to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade. The advice given by the Department of Trade and Industry to Rolls-Royce on the licensability of the Tyne engine and components did not constitute either a variation or a relaxation of the embargo, nor did it reflect any reassessment of policy on the embargo.

TREASURY

National Debt

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what have been the principal factors underlying the changes in the levels of the national debt since November 1990. [899]

Mr. Waldegrave: Changes in national debt principally reflect the level of Government borrowing, which increased substantially in the recession in the early 1990s. The public sector borrowing requirement has since fallen; the latest forecast for 1996-97 is for a PSBR as a per cent. of gross domestic product of half its peak level in 1993-94.

Beer

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to restrict the amount of beer for personal consumption which can be imported from the rest of the EU into the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [1165]

Mr. Oppenheim: Under the provisions of the Excise Duty (Personal Reliefs) Order 1992, based on Council directive 92/12/EEC, travellers may bring into the UK alcohol, purchased for their own use, duty and tax paid in another EU country, without further liability to UK duty and tax. There is no restriction on the quantity of such goods that an individual can purchase. The directive, however, provides indicative levels, agreed by all member

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states, which can assist Customs officers in determining whether goods are in fact intended for commercial use--for beer the level is 110 litres. Although there is no fiscal frontier, a person holding such goods may be challenged by a Customs officer anywhere in the UK, and must be able to satisfy the officer that goods in excess of the indicative levels are not for a commercial purpose.

Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to equalise the duty on beer with that applying in other European countries; and if he will make a statement. [1166]

Mr. Oppenheim: The Government would like to see some movement towards the equalisation of duty rates on beer within the EU through the mechanism of the European Commission's biennial review of the minimum rates of excise duty. The next review is due by the end of 1996. Meanwhile, in reaching his Budget decisions, the Chancellor of the Exchequer takes a range of factors into account, including the rates of duty applied by our near neighbours in the European Union.

Public Sector Debt

Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the present size of the net public sector debt; and what was the equivalent figure in (a) November 1990 and (b) May 1979. [809]

Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 31 October 1996]: Debt figures are not available on a monthly basis; published figures record the stock of debt at the end of each financial year. A provisional estimate of net public sector debt at end March 1996 of £323 billion was published in the "Summer Economic Forecast". Equivalent figures for end March 1991 and end March 1979 were £154 billion and £91 billion respectively. Such comparisons are not particularly meaningful since they take no account of the impact of inflation or the size of the economy. As a per cent. of money GDP, net public sector debt in 1996 was somewhat lower than in 1979.

Mr. Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the net public sector debt per income tax payer; and what was the figure in (a) November 1990 and (b) May 1979. [812]

Mr. Waldegrave [holding answer 31 October 1996]: Debt figures are not available on a monthly basis; published figures record the stock of debt at the end of each financial year. Based on the provisional estimate of net public sector debt at end March published in the "Summer Economic Forecast", NPSD per income tax payer at end-March 1996 was £12,700. Equivalent figures for end-March 1991 and end March 1979 were £5,900 and £4,300 respectively. Such comparisons are not particularly meaningful since they take no account of inflation. Real net public sector debt per income tax payer was marginally lower in 1996 than in 1979.

Transport Fuel Duty

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations he has received from road haulage organisations on the current level of transport fuel duty; and if he will make a statement. [1748]

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Mr. Oppenheim: I and my ministerial colleagues have received numerous representations from individuals and companies involved in road haulage. I saw representatives of the Road Haulage Association as recently as 29 October.

Inland Revenue

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals his Department is currently evaluating with regard to local exchange trading systems and the Inland Revenue; and if he will make a statement. [2306]

Mr. Jack: The Inland Revenue is not aware of any particular problems with local exchange trading systems and has no plans to evaluate these schemes.

Mr. Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is Her Majesty's Government's policy in respect of LETS and the Inland Revenue; and if he will make a statement. [2305]

Mr. Jack: Traders who operate within a local exchange trading system are taxable on their trading profits, just like traders who operate outside of such a scheme.

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