| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Equipment and Furniture
Mr. Ian McCartney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the cost and number of items of equipment and furniture that (a) have been stolen and (b) are otherwise unaccounted for from his Department and its agencies during the past 12 months, listing by name any such items valued at £5,000 or more, and showing information technology material separately. [17062]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
The information is as follows for the Treasury, the revenue departments and the Chancellor's agencies--all values being approximate:
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 306
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions his Department has taken over the last three years to make the public aware of their rights of access to homes containing works of art granted exemption from inheritance tax; and if he will make a statement. [17185]
Mr. Jack:
Since January 1994, the Inland Revenue has issued quarterly press releases publicising the public's right of access, by appointment, to those works of art that are not on general public display and which are listed on the computerised register of conditionally exempt items. Since December 1996, the register has been available on the Internet. The Inland Revenue has also issued a new leaflet, IR 156, "Our heritage--your right to see tax exempt works of art", and a poster to make people aware of their right of access. Copies are available in the Library. The leaflet is available from tax inquiry centres and about 500 museums and public galleries throughout the UK. Copies of the leaflet and poster have also been sent to all chief librarians and to more than 40 university and college art history departments.
Mr. Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who have visited each home where there are works of art exempted from inheritance tax in the most recent year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [17186]
Mr. Jack:
No such estimate has been made. The current arrangements are designed to ensure that qualifying objects are preserved, that public access is available, and that people are aware of their right to view items not on general public display. There is no statutory power to require owners of conditionally exempt chattels to keep statistics of the number of people exercising that right.
Mr. Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the annual revenue cost to the Exchequer of exemption from inheritance tax for works of art for which public access is granted; and if he will make a statement. [17184]
Mr. Jack:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) on 29 January, Official Report, column 234.
Mr. Wray:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement about his plans for use of the private finance initiative in respect of the National Savings agency; [17211]
(3) for what reasons it is proposed to put National Savings agency functions out to tender under the private finance initiative. [17209]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
As I said in my statement of 22 January 1997, there are no plans to privatise National Savings. Our plans are to make sure that National Savings
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 307
continues to provide cost-effective funding of the Government's debt through savings products which customers want.
National Savings is exploring whether private finance initiative options could assist the agency further, to become a more modern high-performance organisation, improving value for money for the taxpayer and the service offered to customers. No decisions have been taken about the scope of private sector involvement.
Mr. Trotter:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional tax would be raised if pension funds were subjected to full normal taxation. [17272]
Mr. Jack:
I regret that a reliable estimate cannot be made.
Mr. Barnes:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many companies have been prosecuted for pensions misselling. [15752]
Mrs. Angela Knight
[holding answer 25 February 1997]: I am not aware of any company to date having been prosecuted for the misselling of pensions. Certain firms, however, have been fined or otherwise disciplined.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the net cost to public funds of abolishing inheritance tax. [17859]
Mr. Jack:
Receipts from inheritance tax are forecast to be £1.6 billion in 1997-98.
Mr. Peter Bottomley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Economic Secretary had seen a copy of page 37 of the second edition of "Plain Figures" prior to her answer of 24 February, Official Report, column 19, concerning rounding; and if she considered enclosing a copy with her answer. [17908]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
Yes, and no.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost to public funds of allowing the married couple's tax allowance to be claimed at (a) 20 per cent. and (b) 23 per cent. [17860]
Mr. Jack:
The estimated full-year Exchequer cost at 1997-98 income levels of allowing the married couple's allowance and linked allowances, which includes the additional personal allowance and the widow's bereavement allowance, to be claimed at 20 per cent. is £1.0 billion and at 23 per cent. is £1.5 billion.
Dr. Strang:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many food poisoning notifications there were to the
27 Feb 1997 : Column: 308
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys (a) in each year since 1982 and (b) in 1996 to the latest available date. [17652]
Mrs. Angela Knight:
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.
HM Treasury
Seventeen items of equipment and furniture valued at £1,300 were recorded as stolen or unaccounted for and 17 IT items valued at £15,600 were recorded as stolen or unaccounted. None of the items was valued over £5,000.
Inland Revenue
Three hundred and eighty-eight items of equipment (or components) with a total value of £460,000, were reported lost or stolen. This includes one item over £5,000, an Escala server valued at £19,000.
HM Customs and Excise
Two hundred and fourteen items of equipment and furniture valued at £87,000 were recorded as losses. Of these, 97 were stolen and 117 were not accountable; 125 IT items valued at £121,000 have been recorded as losses. Of these, 109 were stolen and 16 were not accountable.
Valuation Office
Eleven items of furniture and equipment with a total value of £600 were reported stolen; 72 IT items were recorded stolen, valued £78,700. No items were valued over £5,000.
Paymaster
No equipment or furniture stolen or unaccounted for
The Royal Mint
Three items were unaccounted for with a total of £820. No items have been recorded stolen.
Office for National Statistics
No items of furniture and equipment were reported stolen or unaccounted; 73 IT items were recorded stolen which valued £24,000. No items recorded were valued over £5,000.
National Savings
One item was recorded stolen with a value of £750.
(2) what plans he has to privatise the National Savings agency; [17210]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |