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Non-fossil Fuel Obligation
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has for extending the non-fossil fuel obligation subsidy to facilities which operate anaerobic digestion and energy recovery. [17520]
Mr. Page: I have been asked to reply.
Energy recovery facilities which employ anaerobic digestion have been eligible to bid for contracts under the non-fossil fuel obligation. NFFO policy will be reviewed before the next order, NFFO5, is announced.
NATIONAL HERITAGE
Public Appointments
Dr. John Cunningham:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage if she will name the members of the independent appointment panels or committees
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established to advise on appointments to non-departmental public bodies made by her since July 1995. [10275]
Mrs. Virginia Bottomley:
The first Department of National Heritage public appointments advisory panel was held in September 1996. The following are advisory panel members:
Mr. Mark Robinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for National Heritage what guidance has been issued to valuation officers when assessing the rateable values of premises occupied by voluntary sports clubs and recreational charities; and if she will make a statement.[18276]
Mr. Sproat:
Following consultations with the National Playing Field Society and the Central Council for Physical Recreation, the Valuation Office agency has issued additional guidance to valuation officers about the rating of premises occupied by voluntary sports clubs and recreational charities. This further guidance has been agreed with the representative bodies I have mentioned, and gives advice on a number of rating valuation aspects including ability to pay and lottery funding. In addition, it should assist with the speedier settlement of any appeals by occupiers of the type of property in question.
My hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Mrs. Knight) is the Treasury Minister responsible for the Valuation Office agenda and she, like me, welcomes this useful step which in some circumstances should be of benefit to voluntary sports clubs and recreational charities.
Professor Dawn Ades
Dr. Eric Anderson
Dr. John Ashworth
Averil Burgess OBE
Professor Averil Cameron
Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll DBE
Matthew Evans
The right hon. Lord Faringdon
Professor Sir Brian Follet
Sir Christopher France GCB
Sir Ernest Hall OBE
Sir Denys Henderson
Dr. Anne McLaren DBE
Michael Moriarty CB
John Neill CBE
Dennis Stevenson CBE
Sir Rodney Walker
Sir David Wilson
Overseas Aid
Sir Irvine Patnick:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many countries currently contribute 0.7 per cent. or more of gross domestic product to overseas aid; and if he will make a statement. [17739]
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Dr. Liam Fox:
Four Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries--Denmark, Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands--contribute 0.7 per cent. or more of gross national product to overseas development assistance. In 1995, the UK provided 0.28 per cent. of GNP for development assistance-above the average for all donors of 0.27 per cent.
The UK was second only to the Netherlands in total--public and private--resource flows to developing countries, contributing 1.38 per cent. of GNP--ahead of the UN target of 1 per cent.
Mr. Richards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the final outcome of the negotiations to replenish the international fund for agricultural development; and what will be the United Kingdom contributions. [18275]
Dr. Liam Fox:
My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Overseas Development announced that agreement was reached last week on the fourth replenishment of the international fund for agricultural development. With pledges of around $360 million from the developed countries, some $100 million from the oil producers and developing countries together, the release by the developed countries of some $16 million from the third replenishment, and anticipated reflows and investment income, IFAD should be able to maintain a very satisfactory level of annual lending commitments over the next three years.
The UK's contribution to the fourth replenishment will be $22.01 million--£13.6 million--for which parliamentary approval will be sought in due course. In addition, we will release our share--rather less than $1 million--of the funds previously blocked under the third replenishment: this is not a new financial commitment, promissory notes for the amount having already been lodged.
I am pleased to say that the UK, as convenor of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development group, the largest of the donor groups, played an influential role in securing agreement on the fourth replenishment.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the first year revenue which would be raised by the Exchequer from a 50 per cent. rate of income tax on taxable incomes of over £100,000 per annum. [16564]
Mr. Jack:
The estimated first year yield at 1997-98 income levels of introducing a new rate of 50 per cent. on taxable incomes above £100,000 is £660 million; the full year yield is £1.4 billion. It does not take account of any behavioural effects which might result from the introduction of the new rate of tax.
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Mrs. Clwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many questions were tabled for reply by his Department in each Session since 1979-80; in how many instances in each year the reply has been that providing the information involved disproportionate cost; and in how many instances in each year questions have been given the reply that the information was not available centrally. [16790]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The table gives the number of written and oral questions answered by Treasury Ministers since 1982-83. Figures for earlier years are not available.
| Session | Written | Oral |
|---|---|---|
| 1982-83 | 1,343 | 283 |
| 1983-84 | 2,743 | 591 |
| 1984-85 | 2,225 | 498 |
| 1985-86 | 1,680 | 381 |
| 1986-87 | 1,340 | 157 |
| 1987-88 | 3,244 | 464 |
| 1988-89 | 2,694 | 330 |
| 1989-90 | 2,145 | 338 |
| 1990-91 | 1,465 | 251 |
| 1991-92 | 859 | 148 |
| 1992-93 | 2,857 | 402 |
| 1993-94 | 1,742 | 217 |
| 1994-95 | 2,031 | 246 |
| 1995-96 | 1,621 | 251 |
| 1996-97(6) | 1,048 | 120 |
(6) To 25 February.
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The analyses sought of questions not answered substantively are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Death Rate
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the death rate for (a) the weeks ending 3 January, 10 January, 17 January, 24 January and 31 January and (b) the nearest equivalent week in each of the previous five years; [16905]
- (2) if he will list for each of the past five years (a) the highest three-weekly death rate recorded by the registrar-general and (b) the average weekly death rate for each January. [16767]
Mrs. Angela Knight [holding answer 20 February 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Rhodri Morgan, dated 27 February 1997:
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The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply as Director of the Office for National Statistics to your recent question asking how many deaths occurred in (a) the week ending 3rd January, 10th January, 17th January, 24th January and 31st January and (b) the nearest equivalent week in each of the previous five years. The numbers of deaths in England and Wales are provided in Table 1 below.
| Weeks ending | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd January | 10th January | 17th January | 24th January | 31st January | January average | |
| 1992 | 13,848 | 13,846 | 12,985 | 12,301 | 12,668 | 13,130 |
| 1993 | 15,568 | 13,545 | 12,510 | 11,740 | 11,481 | 12,969 |
| 1994 | 13,495 | 13,256 | 12,497 | 12,239 | 11,662 | 12,630 |
| 1995 | 12,894 | 13,025 | 12,483 | 12,267 | 12,296 | 12,593 |
| 1996(7) | 15,879 | 14,964 | 13,204 | 12,109 | 12,243 | 13,680 |
| 1997(7) | 16,612 | 17,255 | 15,699 | 13,774 | 12,012 | 15,070 |
(7) Death occurrences for 1996 and 1997 are provisional. Figures for 1997 are the latest available. They will be incomplete owing to some January deaths waiting to be registered and added to the ONS database.
You also asked a related question on three-weekly numbers of deaths. The highest numbers of three-weekly death occurrences in England and Wales for each of the past five years are provided in Table 2 on the following page. Table 1 above shows the average weekly deaths for each January in England and Wales.
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| Figure | |
|---|---|
| 1992 | 38,787 |
| 1993 | 40,926 |
| 1994 | 37,992 |
| 1995 | 44,235 |
| 1996(8) | 42,831 |
(8) Death occurrences for 1996 are provisional. I hope this reply has been helpful.
Mr. Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the five most recent occasions prior to 10 January when the weekly death rate recorded in England and Wales exceeded 19,000. [16906]
Mrs. Knight
[holding answer 20 February 1997]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the chief executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.
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Letter from Tim Holt to Mr Rhodri Morgan, dated 27 February 1997:
(9) These figures are from the Registrar-General's Weekly Return which was discontinued in January 1994.
The closure of Register Offices over holiday periods will affect numbers of death registrations. The week following a closure results in offices receiving a backlog of registrations from the previous week. This may contribute to high figures found in the week following a holiday period.
I hope this reply has been helpful.
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