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Service Redundancies
Dr. David Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the costs incurred by his Department as a result of redundancies in each of the three services in each of the last six years. [11456]
Mr. Soames: [pursuant to his reply, 21 January 1997, c. 553]: I regret that the estimate given for 1996-97 was incomplete. A table with the correct figures is provided:
| £ million | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | 1995-96 | 1996-97(18) | |
| RN | 12 | 95 | 75 | 28 | 90 |
| ARMY | 209 | 328 | 281 | 16 | 16 |
| RAF | 11 | 86 | 97 | 143 | 275 |
| Total | 232 | 509 | 453 | 187 | 381 |
(18) Estimate.
These payments include special capital payments, and early payment of terminal grants, commuted pension payments and the first year's payment of immediate pensions.
The figures for 1996-97 are an estimate as the RAF redundancy programme will not be completed until the end of the year.
Ms Ruddock:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) White Papers, (b) Green Papers, (c) consultation papers, (d) draft regulations and (e) circulars, for which his Department has been responsible issued in 1996 which his Department assesses could give rise, (i) directly and (ii) indirectly to significant environmental effects. [12709]
Mr. Soames:
The "Statement on the Defence Estimates 1996" contains an account of MOD environmental activities and my Department's environmental policy statement. My Department has not issued any other document of the type listed which has been assessed directly or indirectly to originate significant environmental effects.
27 Jan 1997 : Column: 32
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the revenue which the National Army museum in Chelsea would have obtained from an entry charge of £2 per visitor in 1996. [12871]
Mr. Soames:
A sum of £256,878, but this figure takes no account of any reduction in visitor numbers that would have followed the introduction of admission charges, or visitors who may have been eligible for free admission.
Any decision to introduce admission charges is a matter for the council of the National Army museum.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to (a) the Royal Signals museum and (b) Bournemouth university of their joint multi-media facility programme; and if he will make a statement.[12872]
Mr. Soames:
The cost of the Royal Signals museum's participation in Bournemouth university's project, Electroscape, will be met from the museum trustees' non-public funds. There will be no cost to my Department. The cost to Bournemouth university is not a matter for my Department.
Mr. Key:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage reduction in the funding of regimental and corps museums is planned for the period from April 1998. [12873]
Mr. Soames:
We have advised museum trustees that there will be a reduction of 12.7 per cent. in the contribution the MOD makes to the funding of regimental and corps museums from April 1998. We are currently consulting with them about how this should be achieved. Not all regimental and corps museums will be affected.
Mr. Berry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outcome of the discussions between his Department and the shell and core contractors for the new MOD building at Abbey Wood, Bristol, following their claim for additional payments referred in his answer of 24 June 1996, Official Report, column 39. [12958]
Mr. Arbuthnot:
Following the completion of shell and core works, a new claim for additional payments and extensions of time was submitted by the Abbey Wood shell and core contractor in December 1996. This claim is currently being assessed and negotiations between the Department and its contractor continue.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list estimate on a monthly basis for the cost to public funds of providing service accommodation for a (a) private, (b) corporal, (c) lance corporal, (d) sergeant and (e) staff sergeant in (i) the Regular Army and (ii) the Military Provost Guard Service. [11286]
Mr. Soames
[holding answer 20 January 1997]: I regret that the information requested is unavailable in the format requested. Houses are allocated to service personnel by size of family of family and not by rank and the requested figures for a breakdown by rank would not therefore be available.
27 Jan 1997 : Column: 33
The married quarters estate in England and Wales has recently been sold to Annington Homes; the MOD leases back the quarters required at the same cost whether they are occupied by Military Provost Guard Service or by full engagement regular service personnel. In addition, my Department pays the costs of maintenance, the upgrade programme, administration of the Defence Housing Executive and the inherent costs of asset ownership in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
MPGS soldiers will be allowed to occupy married and single accommodation on the same terms as full engagement regular service personnel for the duration of the pilot scheme, where this accommodation is available. The MPGS investment appraisal reflected this last factor.
Mr. Wilson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent the liabilities of the Jersey financial institutions are underwritten by (a) UK institutions and (b) the Bank of England; and if he will make a statement.[9730]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
In general, the relationship between a parent institution and its subsidiaries is the same irrespective of where the subsidiaries are located. In the event of an insolvency, the extent to which a parent underwrites the liabilities of its subsidiaries is ultimately a matter for the courts.
The Bank of England does not underwrite the liabilities of Jersey financial institutions.
Mr. Wilson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the responsibilities of (a) the Government and (b) the Bank of England in relation to the financial institutions and affairs of Jersey; and if he will make a statement. [9729]
Mrs. Knight:
Jersey is internally self-governing and has its own legislature which is responsible for matters relating to financial institutions. The UK Government are responsible for Jersey's defence and external relations.
The Bank of England includes Jersey subsidiaries and branches of UK authorised institutions in its consolidated supervision of the UK parent.
Mr. Battle:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 5 December 1996, Official Report, columns 745-46, if he will estimate for the typical domestic customer the change in the combined gas, electricity and water bill between 1979 and 1996 in real terms. [11936]
Mr. Jack:
The information requested is given in the table. The typical domestic customer's gas and electricity bills have fallen in real terms, including VAT. There has however been an increase in water bills, which reflects the industry's large capital investment and environmental programmes. Taking this into account, a typical combined bill rose by about £7.70 in 1990 prices.
27 Jan 1997 : Column: 34
| Electricity £ | Gas £ | Water and sewerage £ | Total £ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 272.9 | 277.1 | 93.4 | 643.4 |
| 1996 | 200.7 | 272.4 | 178.0 | 651.1 |
| Change | -72.2 | -4.7 | +84.6 | +7.7 |
Source:
Department of Trade and Industry, Department of the Environment, Office of Water Services
Electricity bills are based on a typical annual consumption of 3,300 kWh. The figures used are weighted averages for the UK, and include both VAT and the national grid discount.
Gas bills are based on an annual consumption of 17,600 kWh. The figures used are weighted averages for the UK, and include VAT.
Water and sewerage bills relate to 1979-80 and 1996. They are based on average unmeasured bills of customers of the water and sewerage companies in England and Wales.
All figures are in 1990 prices, and all have been deflated using the retail prices index deflator.
Mr. David Nicholson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals have been made by the European Commission since 1990 to extend the coverage of the United Kingdom's VAT system; what goods and services would have been affected; and what was the United Kingdom's Government response in each case.[11642]
Mr. Oppenheim:
No proposals have been made by the European Commission specifically to extend the coverage of the United Kingdom's VAT system. However, since 1990 the Commission has put forward a number of proposals relating to the VAT system in the European Community as a whole. The policy implications, and the Government's position, in respect of all such proposals have been fully set out in the relevant explanatory memorandums, which have been deposited in the Library of the House.
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