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Tax Database
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which the pressure of work on EDS Ltd. and the Inland Revenue has contributed to the revision of security and handling arrangements in the case of tax records held by the United Kingdom Inland Revenue. [1634]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 11 November 1996]: The technical support arrangements for the self-assessment computer system are not related to pressures of work at the Inland Revenue or Electronic Data Services Ltd. They are designed to provide quick and effective support for the Inland Revenue in running the self-assessment system.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the memorandum dealing with access by EDS or Oracle overseas to the Inland Revenue's database. [1640]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 12 November 1996]: My reply on 16 October 1996 to my hon. Friend the Member for Southport (Mr. Banks), Official Report, columns 912-13, made public the arrangements which Oracle would be putting in place to provide 24-hour support,
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using its worldwide service network, for the self-assessment computer system. But it would not be appropriate to make public the advice given, in confidence, by officials to Government Ministers.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the revised security strategy in the case of the Inland Revenue database represents a change of Government policy. [1641]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 12 November 1996]: The Inland Revenue's security policy has been revised only to reflect the requirement to provide 24-hour technical support for business critical computer systems. This does not represent a change of Government policy.
Mr. Campbell-Savours: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide for information governing the personal tax affairs of hon. Members to be held on the Oracle data equipment on the same basis and in the same way as all other United Kingdom taxpayers. [1644]
Mr. Jack [holding answer 12 November 1996]: The tax affairs of all taxpayers are treated as confidential, but for some years, additional safeguards have applied in certain cases, including Members of Parliament, and such safeguards will also apply under self-assessment.
Employment Contracts
Mr. Hain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual there have been in (1) his Department and (2) executive agencies of his Department for each year since 1992. [5415]
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Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 25 November 1996]: Apart from information on fixed-term appointments, the information requested is available from "Civil Service Staff In Post Summary Tables" for 1 April for each year in question, copies of which are available in the House Library.
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| 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | Full time | Part time | |
| Treasury | 1 | -- | 3 | -- | 1 | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- |
| ONS(11) | -- | -- | 29 | -- | 44 | -- | 43 | 1 | 182 | 19 |
| Customs and Excise(12) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Government Actuary | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4 | -- | 5 | -- |
| Inland Revenue(13) | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 412 | 79 | 1,129 | 117 |
| Valuation Office | 16 | 14 | 15 | 6 | 30 | 2 | 544 | 42 | 526 | 51 |
| National Savings | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3 | -- | 10 | -- | 68 | 1 |
| NILO | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| RFS | 2 | -- | 2 | -- | 3 | -- | 4 | -- | 3 | -- |
| Royal Mint | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Paymaster | 5 | -- | 6 | -- | 8 | -- | 16 | -- | 15 | -- |
(11) The CSO and OPCS merged in April 1996 (to form the ONS). Figures were collected in different formats within each department prior to that date. Within the OPCS staff on fixed term appointments were calculated within the number of permanent staff, and not all figures are available for the CSO.
(12) Numbers of fixed term appointments are not available prior to 1995. Figures for 1995 and 1996 do not show full time and part time staff separately, and have been calculated on the basis of one part timer equals 0.5. The figures are:
1995 = 546.5
1996 = 718.5
(13) Prior to April 1995 figures for fixed term appointments were included in the count of casual employees.
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2 Dec 1996 : Column: 519
Women
Mrs. Roche: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of those employed by his Department in 1992-93 were women. [6471]
Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 28 November 1996]: On 1 April 1992, 42.4 per cent. of Treasury staff were female. The figure for 1 April 1993 was 42.9 per cent.
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are being taken to determine if there was involvement of British companies in the brokering of arms to combatants in the African Great Lakes region conflict; and if he will make a statement. [5367]
Arms Exports
Mr. Oppenheim [holding answer 21 November 1996]: Customs is aware of current allegations and will take appropriate action in the light of their assessment of information obtained.
It is not, however, Customs' general practice to comment publicly about the existence or nature of an investigation of individuals or companies not yet accused of criminal offences since to do so could risk prejudicing any on-going inquiries or future criminal proceedings.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Food Poisoning
Mr. Salmond: To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much his Department has spent on research into (a) E.coli 0157 and (b) campylobacter in each year since 1990 and from 1 January to date. [7213]
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Mrs. Browning: The expenditure by my Department on research into E. coli 0157 and campylobacter over the past four years is set out in the table.
| 1993-94 £ | 1994-95 £ | 1995-96 £ | 1996-97 £ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E. coli 0157 | 113,917 | 334,292 | 506,522 | 851,211 |
| Campylobacter | 770,047 | 984,271 | 1,095,499 | 675,245 |
The information for earlier years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Salmond:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the research applications his Department has (a) granted and (b) rejected to study (i) E.coli 0157 and (ii) campylobacter in each year since 1990 and from 1 January to date. [7212]
Mrs. Browning:
The lists of research applications commissioned in these two areas over the past four years, and the lists of the research applications formally received but not commissioned over the same period, have been placed in the Library of the House. The information for previous years can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Hain:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual there have been in (1) his Department and (2) executive agencies of his Department for each year since 1992. [5428]
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Mr. Boswell
[holding answer 25 November 1996]: I will answer for the Department and the Pesticides Safety Directorate. Chief executives of the Department's other agencies will be replying direct to the hon. Gentleman.
Departments and agencies are now responsible for their own budgets and resources so fixed complements no longer exist. Staff numbers are, therefore, the most accurate guide to the number of jobs in a Department.
Information on the numbers of full-time, part-time and casual staff employed in my Department and the Pesticides Safety Directorate as at 1 April each year since 1992 can be found in the civil service staff in post summary tables, copies of which can be found in the Library of the House. Temporary staff are identified as casuals. In addition to that information there were, at 1 April 1996, 54 full-time and nine part-time staff on fixed-term appointments in the Department and PSD. It is not possible to distinguish between renewable and non-renewable appointments. Figures for fixed-term appointments in previous years are not available.
Letter from Dr. J. M. Rutter, to Mr. Peter Hain, dated 2 December 1996:
(14) Part-timers are counted as whole posts. We cannot extract the information concerning renewable and unrenewable fixed term-contracts without disproportionate cost to the agency.
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A word or two of explanation is also necessary. The table refers to staff in post at 1 January of each year. A detailed breakdown relating to jobs rather than staff is not readily available.
The figures for 1992-96 refer to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL). The figures for the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) for 1996 reflect the increase in Agency staffing following the merger of CVL with the Veterinary Investigation Service in October 1995 to form the new Agency, the VLA.
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Letter from Phillip Needham to Mr. Peter Hain, dated 2 December 1996:
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about staff numbers as this is an operational matter for which I am responsible.[pq num="5428"]
Information on the numbers of full-time (FT), part-time (PT) and casual staff employed in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate as at 1 April since 1992 is given in the tables below. Information in casual jobs before April 1994, on temporary jobs and on those with renewable and non-renewable fixed-term contracts cannot be separately identified.
Permanent and casual
FT PT Total April 1992 76 14 90
April 1993 85 9 94
Permanent Casual Combined
FT PT Total FT PT Total total April 1994 82 14 96 3 0 3 99
April 1995 77 12 89 8 0 8 97
April 1996 95 14 109 6 2 8 117
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, has asked me to reply direct to your Parliamentary Question in which you ask how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed term-contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed term-contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual that have been in (1) his Department and (2) Executive Agencies of his Department for each year since 1992.[pq num="5428"]
The information relating to ADAS is as follows:
Year Permanent Permanent(14) Casual Casual(14)
1 April full-time part-time full-time part-time July 1992 2,410 73 167 --
1993 2,287 190 179 --
1994 2,099 221 153 23
1995 1,773 165 150 16
1996 1,551 107 132 11
Letter from George Trevelyan to Mr. Peter Hain, dated 2 December 1996:
Letter from T. W. A. Little to Mr. Peter Hain 2 December 1996:
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply to your question about how many (a) full-time jobs, (b) part-time jobs, (c) full-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (d) part-time jobs which are on (i) renewable and (ii) unrenewable fixed-term contracts, (e) temporary jobs and (f) jobs classified as casual there have been in the Intervention Board for each year since 1992, as this matter is within my operational responsibility.[pq num="5428"]
The numbers of permanent and casual full-time and part-time staff employed by this Agency as at 1 April each year since 1992 are published in the Civil Service staff-in post summary tables, and also the Departmental Reports for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Intervention Board, copies of which may be found in the Library of the House. Temporary staff are identified as casuals. In addition to that information, I can also confirm that over the period since 1992 no full-time or part-time staff have been employed by the Intervention Board on either renewable, or unrenewable fixed-term appointments.
The Minister has asked me to reply to your question about the number of full-time, part time and casual posts within the Agency and the various terms of employment terms relating to those posts.[pq num="5428"]
We do not keep records which readily relate to the precise terms of your Question but the following table provides much of the information:
VLA CVL
1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 Permanent
Full-time 921 620 586 608 598 581
Part-time 98 60 61 61 61 60
Fixed-term
Full-time 4 4 4 -- -- --
Part-time -- -- -- -- -- --
Casual
Full-time 60 29 46 36 27 23
Part-time 14 2 -- 5 7 --
Total 1,097 711 697 710 693 664
Letter from Professor P. I. Stanley to Mr. Peter Hain, dated 2 December 1996:
There is no differentiation between fixed-term contracts which are renewable or unrenewable. All contracts are reviewed before expiry to consider whether they should be terminated, extended or become permanent.
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has asked me to reply, in respect of the Central Science Laboratory (CSL), to your question concerning the numbers of full-time, part-time and casual staff employed since 1992.
Letter from Johnston McNeill to Mr. Peter Hain, dated 2 December 1996:
The following table illustrates the information that is available. Staff numbers for 1992 are not separately identifiable from MAFF and, for 1993, separate details of full-time and part-time casual staff are not available The figures for 1995 reflect the merger of CSL with the MAFF Food Science Laboratories in April 1994. [pq num="5428"]
Permanent Casual
Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time 1993 364 49 55.5 -
1994 401 41 20 1
1995 576 53 64 7
1996 591 62 42 9
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