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Medical Insurance (Tax Relief)
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlie the discrepancy between the figures on page 34 of the Red Book on the number of people receiving tax relief on private medical insurance premiums and that given in Inland Revenue press release No. 5 issued on the same day. [8698]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 15 July 1997]: There are two different sets of measurements: the number of contracts--or taxpayers getting relief--and the number of people covered by the contract. It is common for more than one person--usually spouses--to be covered by a contract. The lower figure of one third million quoted in the Red Book represents the number of eligible contracts
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and the number of people who get tax relief by making their payments net of tax. The higher figure quoted in the press release--550,000--represents the total number of individuals covered by the contracts.
Bank of Credit and Commerce International
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will investigate the total costs of the English liquidators of BCCI to date for dealing with staff loans of former employees. [9893]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths: No. This is a matter for the liquidators and the liquidation committee of creditors. I met Tony Scott of the liquidation committee on 10 June.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the issue of writs by the English liquidators of BCCI against former employees of BCCI. [9891]
Mr. Griffiths: No. This is a matter for the liquidators. The bringing of any such proceedings requires the sanction of the liquidation committee.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much was set aside by the BCCI liquidators for the payment of the first dividend; how much has actually been paid; what is the balance amount remaining; and what plans the liquidators have to pay a second dividend. [9895]
Mr. Griffiths: Details of the first dividend payment are given in the report of the joint liquidators to the Secretary of State, pursuant to regulation 14 of the Insolvency Regulations 1994, for the period 16 January 1996 to 15 January 1997, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House and a copy of which I sent to my hon. Friend on 30 May 1997.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much extra money has been collected by the liquidators of BCCI since the payment of the first dividend for the payment of the second dividend; and what costs and fees have been incurred by the liquidators for this. [9896]
Mr. Griffiths: This information will be contained in the next annual report of the liquidators to the Secretary of State, pursuant to regulation 14 of the Insolvency Regulations 1994 which will cover the period 16 January 1997 to 15 January 1998.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will take steps to have the costs and legal fees of the liquidators of BCCI audited by an independent accountant. [9890]
Mr. Griffiths: No. These are matters for the liquidation committee of creditors or for the court.
Newsagents
Mr. Luff:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what action she proposes to take to safeguard the future of independent retail newsagents; and if she will make a statement. [9909]
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Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Director General of Fair Trading continues to monitor the newspaper market following the Monopolies and Mergers Commission investigation into the supply of national newspapers in England and Wales in 1992-93. I understand that he is currently considering a submission from the National Federation of Retail Newsagents which calls for a further reference of the industry to the MMC.
Mr. Rowlands:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what are the key functions of the British Overseas Trade Board; when the board was established; by what authority; and if she will list the names of the chairman and the secretary. [9628]
Mr. Ian McCartney:
The key function of the British Overseas Trade Board--BOTB--is to act as principal adviser to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on overseas trade and the official export promotion programme.
Set up in 1972 by the then Minister of Trade, the board draws on the experience of senior British business people to help improve the export performance of UK industry and commerce, guide the Government's export promotion efforts, including the provision of export services, and provide advice on policy issues affecting international trade promotion.
The current chairman is Sir Martin Laing CBE and the secretary is Dr. Denis Walker.
Mr. Breed:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to revise the regulatory set-up for the utilities; and if she will make a sttaement. [8645]
Mrs. Beckett:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Delyn (Mr. Hanson) on 30 June 1997, Official Report, columns 20-21.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade on what occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials have refused to (i) arrange and (ii) attend meetings with hon. Members to discuss matters relating to interests registered by those Members under categories 1, 2, 3, 4(b), 8 and 9 in the Register of Members' Interests. [8953]
Mrs. Beckett:
The first report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life Cm 2850, made it clear that, when Members are meeting Ministers or others on topics in which they have an interest, the onus is on the Members to declare that interest, not the Minister to know--paragraph 63 of Cm 2850. It is not practicable for Ministers and officials, among their other duties, to vet requests for meetings against the Register of Members' Interests. Should evidence of non-declaration emerge, or contravention of the resolution of the House relating to delegations to Ministers, the matter would be brought to the attention of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards.
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Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will ensure that (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department refuse requests from hon. Members to (i) arrange and (ii) attend meetings relating to interests held by those Members under categories 1, 2, 3, 4(b), 8 and 9 in the Register of Members' Interests. [8050]
Mrs. Beckett:
The first report from the Committee on Standards in Public Life Cm 2850, recognised the value of enabling Members to retain interests outside the House, provided these were properly declared, both in the Register of Members' Interests and on other occasions. Subject to these requirements, and to the rules of the House relating to delegations to Ministers, Members are free to seek meetings with Ministers and officials who will consider such requests alongside the many other approaches from individuals and organisations concerned to press their own interests or those of others.
Mr. Campbell-Savours:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) on what dates since 1 May (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have met commercial lobbyists to discuss matters relating to the business of her Department; and if she will introduce a register of such meetings; [8051]
Mrs. Beckett:
As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister explained in response to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn), Official Report, column 99, Ministers and officials in the Department receive deputations from many groups who are concerned to press their own interests or those of their clients, which Ministers and officials take due care to consider within the wider public interest and Government policy. As it is not practicable to distinguish particular groups as lobbyists, the Department cannot keep a register of such meetings.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licences have been issued for the export of Hawk aircraft to Indonesia since 1978; and in each case what was the date of the licence and the number of aircraft covered by it. [7222]
Mrs. Roche:
A licence was formally issued on 2 January 1996 in respect of the approval given for Hawk aircraft and equipment and announced by the then Minister of Trade on 19 December 1995, Official Report, column 1081. This licence was for eight 100 series Hawks and 16 200 series Hawks. Six other licences, on the same date, covered equipment including weapon systems, and spares.
A licence was issued on 22 November 1996 for 16 200 series Hawks. Again, six other licences on the same date, covered equipment, including weapons systems, and spares.
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To provide details of Hawk aircraft or any related spares licensed for earlier years would entail disproportionate cost.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the number and categories of export licences granted to Manroy Engineering Ltd. for the export of (a) general purpose machine guns and (b) other automatic weapons to Indonesia since 1988. [3436]
Mrs. Roche:
Since 1991, when records became readily available, no export licences for such weapons for export to Indonesia have been issued to the company. Information for the earlier period could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The company has, however, told officials that it has not applied for licences for such weapons to Indonesia.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the (a) number and (b) categories of export licences granted to Broadcast and Surveillance Systems Ltd. for the export of surveillance systems to Indonesia since 1988. [3698]
Mrs Roche:
Readily available records--from 1991--show that two export licences have been granted to Broadcast and Surveillance Systems Ltd., for the export of surveillance systems to Indonesia: one in September 1995 and the other in May 1996.
Both licence were for the temporary export of goods categorised under the heading ML15 of the relevant Export of Goods (Control) Order. All the exported goods have now been returned to the UK.
It is possible that goods covered by the question may have been supplied as part of a larger order, but not specifically recorded as such in the licensing database. A search of paper records to identify any of these would entail disproportionate cost, as would provision of information for the earlier period.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Broad of Trade if she will list the number of current export licence applications for command control, communication and information systems to Indonesia. [3526]
Mrs. Roche:
There are no current export licence applications for command control, communication and information systems to Indonesia.
The licences issued to Procurement Services International Ltd. for Glover Webb Tactica vehicles, which was announced in the House on 9 December 1996, Official Report, column 30, contained 12 Hornet command and communications vehicles, eight Tactica command and communications vehicles and two sets of communications base station equipment. This was announced in the House on 23 January 1997, Official Report, columns 708-709.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licences have been granted since 1988 for the export of MP5 sub-machine guns to Indonesia; how many shipments there were; and what assurances the United Kingdom Government were given by the Indonesian authorities that the weapons would not be used for internal repression. [2772]
Mrs. Roche:
Readily available records--since 1991--show no licences granted for export of these weapons to Indonesia have been issued. It is possible that goods
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covered by the question may have been supplied as part of a larger order, but not specifically recorded as such in the licensing database. A search of paper records to identify any of these would entail disproportionate cost, as would provision of information for the earlier period.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will provide details of the export licences granted to the Nitor group of companies for the export of firearms training systems to Indonesia since 1988. [2803]
Mrs. Roche:
Firearms training systems, unless they are specialised equipment for military training or for simulating military scenarios, do not require an export licence.
Readily available records--since 1991--show that no licences have been issued to the Nitor group of companies for the export of firearms training systems to Indonesia.
To search paper export licence records for earlier years would entail disproportionate costs.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will provide details of the exports by Henckler and Koch of MP5 sub-machine guns to Indonesia. [2771]
Mrs. Roche:
Details of deliveries of equipment exported are not held by my Department.
Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns are manufactured in the UK by Royal Ordnance, a subsidiary of British Aerospace.
Since 1991, when records became readily available, no licence is shown as having been issued to Royal Ordnance for export of these weapons to Indonesia.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will provide details of all licences granted for the export of (a) sub-machine guns, (b) machine guns, (c) assault rifles, (d) automatic rifles and (e) sniper rifles to Indonesia, in each of the last three years. [2773]
Mrs. Roche:
In the three years to 15 July 1997, readily available records show that only one licence has been issued for the export of such weapons rated under heading ML1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order to Indonesia. The export licence was issued in 1995 and was for 10 sniper rifles for the Indonesian armed forces. It is possible that goods covered by the question may have been supplied as part of a larger order, but not specifically recorded as such in the licensing database. A search of paper records to identify any of these would entail disproportionate cost.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licences have been granted for the export of close quarter battle facilities and firearms training systems to Indonesia since 1988; and if she will provide details of the Indonesian security and military training for which the equipment was intended. [2804]
Mrs. Roche:
Readily available records--since 1991--show that three export licences have been issued for the export of close quarter battle facilities and firearms training systems to Indonesia; in one case, the goods were destined for the Indonesian for the Indonesian army headquarters for army training. The other two were temporary licences, the goods destined for the Indonesian
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Department of Defence and Security for demonstration to the Indonesian armed forces. These two temporary licences were subsequently returned to the DTI unused.
It should be noted, in general, that firearms training systems, unless they are specialised equipment for military training or for simulating military scenarios, do not require an export licence.
A search of records for earlier years would entail disproportionate cost.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the number of export licences granted in each year since 1990 for export to Indonesia of (a) machine guns, (b) automatic cannon and (c) 7.62 mm ammunition. [18467]
Mrs. Roche:
From readily available records--dating from 1991--the numbers of licences issued specifically for these goods for export to Indonesia are as follows:
(2) on what dates since 1 May (a) Ministers and (b) officials in her Department have attended meetings with organisations representing (i) commercial and (ii) non-commercial interests organised by commercial lobbying firms; and if she will introduce a register of such meetings. [8052]
| 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine guns | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
| Automatic cannon | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 7.62 mm ammunition | -- | -- | 2 | -- | 1 | -- | -- |
In addition, one further licence was issued in 1995 for 30 in ammunition which is interchangeable with 7.62 mm ammunition.
It is possible that goods covered by the question may also have been supplied as part of a larger order, but not specifically recorded as such on the licensing database. A search of paper records to identify any of these, and for any such items licensed in 1990, would entail disproportionate cost.
Dr. Tonge:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will revoke the licences for Hawk jets to Indonesia granted in November 1996. [9146]
Mrs. Roche:
Any decision to revoke an export licence issued before 1 May by my Department would be announced to the House.
Ann Clwyd:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many licence applications are awaiting approval for the export of sub-machine guns and other automatic weapons to Indonesia. [2774]
Mrs. Roche:
At 10 July, four individual export licence applications had been received which included such weapons for Indonesia. These will be considered in light of the Government's commitment not to license for export arms to regimes that might use them for internal repression or international aggression.
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