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Meningitis
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his oral statement of 2 December, Official Report, columns 669-75, on the meningitis outbreak at the university of Wales, Cardiff, if the strain of the 14 October case in the tower block, Pen y Lan, has now been confirmed; and what it was. [8022]
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which strain of meningitis was identified in the Cardiff student who fell ill with the disease in October. [7788]
Mr. Hague: Initial blood samples taken from the patient concerned did not confirm meningococcal infection. Further follow-up testing has identified meningococcal infection, although it has not been possible, to date, to identify the type.
TREASURY
Computers
Mr. Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what resources he has allocated to enable all computer software operated by the Treasury to be adapted to deal with (a) the year 2000 problem and (b) the proposed single European currency; and if he will make a statement. [5740]
Mrs. Angela Knight: The Treasury has work in hand to identify and test computer software for year 2000 compliance. This work is being undertaken by a project team alongside existing responsibilities. The current plan is that any remedial work will be scheduled into the maintenance and upgrade cycle of computer systems concerned.
It was agreed at the European Council in Madrid in December 1995 that the single currency will be introduced over a transition period of up to three and a half years from January 1999 in those countries which participate. It is envisaged that public administrations in those countries which participate, along with many private sector operators, will change many or all of their systems around the end of that period, when euro banknotes and coins become available. Given that the Government have not decided whether the United Kingdom should seek to participate in the single currency and that, if it were to do so, there would be a transitional period after the introduction of the euro before its use would become necessary for all activities, the Treasury has not committed resources at this stage to adapting its computer software to deal with the single currency.
Tobacco and Alchol Duty
Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the annual amount lost to the Treasury through evasion of duty on (a) wines, (b) spirits, (c) beer, and (d) tobacco products by (i) falsification of export documents, (ii) illegal imports and (iii) other means; what plans he has to counter such evasion; and if he will make a statement. [6786]
6 Dec 1996 : Column: 831
Mr. Oppenheim: There is no official estimate of revenue lost due to the falsification of export documents for alcohol and tobacco.
| Product type | Revenue evaded (£ million) |
|---|---|
| Beer and Cider | 110 |
| Wine | 50 |
| Spirits | 50 |
| Tobacco Products | 560 |
| Total | 770 |
The Chancellor announced in his Budget statement that the Government would be cracking down on the evasion of excise duty and VAT. To this end, a further allocation of some 190 staff will be made to customs for the financial year 1997-98 specifically to combat the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco, for the investigation of excise fraud and to improve compliance with excise regulations. This is in addition to the front-line, support and investigation staff currently deployed to combat this type of evasion.
Rev. Martin Smyth:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further steps he is taking to protect (a) tobacconists and (b) others from (i) cheap and (ii) illegal imports. [4307]
Mr. Oppenheim
[holding answer 26 November 1996]: It is quite legal for travellers to other member states to purchase excise goods without the requirement to pay UK excise duty on their return home, providing the goods are for their own use. However, it is illegal for such goods to be imported for a commercial purpose without payment of UK duty.
Customs and Excise currently has over 250 excise verification officers employed directly to prevent single market smuggling of excise goods. The Chancellor announced in his Budget speech that a further 70 posts are to be added to this number. This front-line force is backed up by specialist intelligence and investigation teams, whose resources are also being increased under the Department's investigation and intelligence fundamental expenditure review.
Mr. Timms:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the equivalent figures for the year 1996-97 to those given in table 5.5 of the "Financial Statement and Budget Report". [7220]
Mr. Darling:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown by Department of the £1.1 billion estimated capital expenditure under the private finance initiative in 1996-97, referred to in table 5.4 of
6 Dec 1996 : Column: 832
the "Financial Statement and Budget Report", 1997-98, along the same lines as the figures for 1997-98 in table 5.5 of the same report. [7195]
Mr. Jack
[holding answer 2 December 1996]: The information requested is as follows:
| £ million | 1996-97 |
|---|---|
| Defence | 40 |
| FCO/ODA | 0 |
| Agriculture | 0 |
| DTI | (18)-- |
| DfEE | 0 |
| Transport | 550 |
| Environment | 80 |
| Home Office | 120 |
| Legal (LCD) | (18)-- |
| Health | 70 |
| Social Security | 130 |
| Scotland and Forestry Commission | 30 |
| Wales | 20 |
| Northern Ireland | 10 |
| Chancellor's department | 30 |
| Local authorities | 50 |
| Total | 1,130 |
(18) Less than £10 million.
The principal reasons for the reduction in the estimated outturn for 1996-97 from £1.9 billion in the 1995 "Financial Statement and Budget Report" down to £1.1 billion in the 1996 report are better estimates of the likely phasing of the capital expenditure on some signed transport projects, and somewhat slower than expected progress in procurement of some other projects.
Mr. Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amounts raised by the Treasury in each year since 1979 through taxation on beer. [7255]
Mr. Oppeneheim [holding answer 3 December 1996]: The information requested is given in the table.
| Total revenue--nominal | |
|---|---|
| £ million | |
| 1979 | 1,380 |
| 1980 | 1,760 |
| 1981 | 2,080 |
| 1982 | 2,330 |
| 1983 | 2,580 |
| 1984 | 2,800 |
| 1985 | 3,034 |
| 1986 | 3,130 |
| 1987 | 3,200 |
| 1988 | 3,420 |
| 1989 | 3,520 |
| 1990 | 3,780 |
| 1991 | 4,160 |
| 1992 | 4,300 |
| 1993 | 4,190 |
| 1994 | 4,560 |
| 1995 | 4,740 |
The figures cover excise duty and VAT. Value added tax has been estimated from Office for National Statistics figure for consumers' expenditure on beer.
6 Dec 1996 : Column: 833
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when Her Majesty's Government prepared the paper on budgetary discipline in stage three of economic and monetary union in respect of negotiations on a stability pact for economic and monetary union; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [6893]
Mr. Kenneth Clarke: The briefing note "Budgetary Discipline in Stage Three of Economic and Monetary Union" was prepared for the European Union Commissioners; Sir Leon Brittan and Neil Kinnock, in early October. The note was placed in the Library of both Houses on 25 November 1996.
Golden Shares
Mr. Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) of 25 November, Official Report, columns 71-72, what powers the Government can exercise under the terms of each of the golden or special shares they hold. [7103]
Mr. Jack: Special shares are confined to those companies where the Government judge that they need to retain specific limited powers over the future ownership, control, or conduct of a privatised company. Powers are generally limited to: (i) a clause providing that the holder of the special share may redeem the share at any time for its face value (usually £1); (ii) a clause limiting shareholdings by any one person, or group of persons acting in concert, to 15 per cent., with powers for the board of directors to disenfranchise any shareholder in breach of this limit to the extent of the excess; (iii) a clause entrenching itself, and the two clauses above, against amendment unless there is both a resolution passed by the ordinary shareholders at general meeting in the usual way and the holder of the special share has given written consent.
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