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Roads Programme

Mr. Norman Hogg: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the Budget statement on the projected programme for the construction of the M80 motorway between Stepps and Haggs; and if he will make a statement. [7832]

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton [holding answer 6 December 1996]: My right hon. Friend will make a statement on these matters in the near future.

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 26

TREASURY

Computers

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Bank of England is taking to ensure the millennium compliance of its computer systems and those with which they are connected; what is its budget for this purpose; and if he will make a statement. [6665]

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 27

Mrs. Angela Knight: The Bank of England has already begun to prepare its own computer systems for the millennium. It is also liaising with APACS--the Association for Payment Clearing Services--which oversees the payments systems, and with commercial banks. No separate budget has been set for this process, which will be accommodated within departmental software development budgets.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of how much it currently costs to answer (a) an oral and (b) a written parliamentary question. [7642]

Mrs. Angela Knight: A total of £249 and £107 respectively, as I stated in my reply to the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney (Mr. Rowlands) on 4 December 1996, Official Report, column 656.

Unemployment

Mr. Blunkett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecast of those registered as unemployed on the claimant count in 1997-98 underlay his assumptions in respect of resources available for out-of-work benefits and related passported entitlements; and if he will list this forecast for changes in levels of claimant count unemployment in (a) 1996-97, (b) 1997-98 and (c) 1998-99. [7477]

Mrs. Angela Knight: The assumptions for unemployment which underlie the public expenditure plans are given in table 5A.5 of the 1997-98 "Financial Statement and Budget Report."

Christmas Expenditure

Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department plans to spend on celebrating Christmas and the new year. [7587]

Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 6 December 1996]: Such costs are included in the Department's running cost expenditure, which is published in the annual report.

National Insurance

Ms Corston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each source of taxation revenue and for national insurance, (i) the amounts received and what percentage that is of total revenue and (ii) the numbers of people paying in (a) 1980, (b) 1985, (c) 1990 and (d) 1995. [3044]

Mr. Jack: Information on the amounts received is in the table. Figures for the numbers of people paying some of these taxes is contained in "Inland Revenue Statistics", a copy of which is in the Library. Information on the numbers of people paying other taxes is not available.

Tax and national insurance receipts (on a cash basis) £ billions

	1980-81	1985-86	1990-91	1995-96
Income tax	242.99	353.58	552.89	680.72
Corporation tax	460.2	103.80	210.44	235.69
Value added tax	109.68	193.29	309.91	430.73
Excise duties(9)	889.8	148.98	199.36	283.55
Other taxes and royalties(10)	225.70	412.95	407.02	442.34
Social security contributions	140.57	244.65	354.10	444.79
Total	853.94	1,457.25	2,033.72	2,517.82

(9) Fuel, alcohol and tobacco duties and VED.(10) Includes local taxes as well as other central government taxes.

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As a percentage of total

	1980-81	1985-86	1990-91	1995-96
Income tax	28.5	24.3	27.2	27.0
Corporation tax	5.4	7.1	10.3	9.4
Value added tax	12.8	13.3	15.2	17.1
Excise duties(11)	10.4	10.2	9.8	11.3
Other taxes and royalties(12)	26.4	28.3	20.0	17.6
National insurance contributions	16.5	16.8	17.4	17.7
Total	100	100	100	100

(11) Fuel, alcohol and tobacco duties and VED.(12) Includes local taxes as well as other central government taxes.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Minimum Wage

Mr. MacShane: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list those countries in the European Union where a minimum wage has been imposed following a directive from the European Commission. [7012]

Mr. John M. Taylor: There is no requirement for states in the European Union to introduce minimum wages. Arrangements for determining pay is a matter for individual member states--a fact recognised in the Commission's opinion on an equitable wage.

Nuclear Materials (Accounting and Control)

Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what review his Department has conducted of its system of accounting and control of nuclear materials at nuclear plants and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. [6992]

Mr. Nelson: All civil nuclear material in the United Kingdom is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK-International Atomic Energy Authority-Euratom safeguards agreement. My Department liaises with the international inspectorates to ensure that these obligations are met. This includes reviews of the systems of nuclear material accounting and control at facilities. The United Kingdom will also continue to offer its full support to the development of a strengthened international safeguards system.

Child Labour

Miss Lestor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment his Department has made of the report, "Helping Business to Help Stop Child Labour", produced by Anti-Slavery International; what action he is

9 Dec 1996 : Column: 29

taking to encourage British businesses abroad to adopt fair employment practices; and if he will make a statement.[7245]

Mr. Nelson: It is for British businesses to ensure that they are complying fully with their legal obligations and ethical standards. The Government encourage British businesses operating overseas to respect the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises, which cover employment practices, among other things.

Miss Lestor: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make it his policy to encourage British companies overseas to act as model employers by taking action to avoid exploitative practices, particularly involving children. [7247]

Mr. Nelson: It is the responsibility of individual companies to satisfy themselves that they are complying with local law and acting in accordance with ethical standards. The Government encourage British businesses operating overseas to respect the OECD guidelines for multinational enterprises, which cover employment practices, among other things.

EU Common External Tariff Level

Mr. Shore: To ask the Secretary of the Board of Trade what is the 1996 average level of the common external tariff of the European Union; what was the average level in (a) 1966, (b) 1976 and (c) 1986; and what the common tariff level is planned to be when the Uruguay round is finally implemented. [7461]

Mr. Nelson: In 1966, 1976 and 1986, the average levels of the common external tariff of the European Union in the industrial sector were in the order of 12 per cent., 9.5 per cent. and 6.5 per cent. respectively. Precise figures are not available. Moreover, there are no equivalent figures for the agricultural sector in those years because chapters 1 to 24 of the common external tariff then contained many specific rates, for example by weight or by volume. The Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations was the first such round in which the ad valorem equivalents of specific rates were calculated, thus enabling inclusion of agricultural products in the average tariff level. The average level of the overall common external tariff in 1996 is 4 per cent. When the Uruguay round is fully implemented it will be 3.2 per cent.

Small Businesses

Mrs. Roche: To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to his answer of 2 December, Official Report, column 498, on small business statistics, if he will name the two independent sources. [8028]

Mr. Page: The information requested is in my answer of 2 December 1996, Official Report, column 498.

Armoured Vehicles (Indonesia)

Mr. Waterson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about exports of armoured vehicles to Indonesia. [8636]

Mr. Lang: I have authorised the issue of licences to Alvis for the export of a further 50 armoured vehicles, and their associated equipment, to Indonesia. The decision

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has been made following consultation with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in the light of the established and internationally agreed criteria for military exports.

Mr. Waterson: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement about the export of armoured vehicles to the Indonesian police force. [8635]

Mr. Lang: I have authorised the issue of an export licence to Procurement Services International Ltd. for a variety of police vehicles. The licence includes seven Tactica water cannon and associated equipment. This decision has been made following consultation with the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the light of the established and internationally agreed criteria for military exports.

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