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TREASURY
Accounting Systems
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which countries in the EU use (a) the public sector borrowing requirement and (b) similar cash-based accounting systems as their main guide in public finance; and which countries use an accruals-based accounting system. [8194]
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Mrs. Liddell:
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. Donald Gorrie, dated 25 July 1997:
Mr. Pike:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to review the proposed programme of closure and merger of district valuation offices; [9178]
Dawn Primarolo:
The information requested is the responsibility of the Valuation Office. I have asked the acting chief executive to reply.
Letter from Peter Upton to Mr. Peter L. Pike, dated 25 July 1997:
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Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the forecasts for the level of United Kingdom interest rates used in the assumptions underlying his recent Budget statement. [9488]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 21 July 1997]: In line with the convention followed by previous Governments, I do not intend to publish the interest rate path underlying the Budget economic forecast.
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effects of his recent Budget proposals on the level of future United Kingdom carbon dioxide emissions; and if he will make a statement.[9482]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 21 July 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell, (Mr. Taylor), on 18 July, Official Report, column 376.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the impact a 1 per cent. annual increase in road fuel duties above the existing 5 per cent. real rate of increase would have on carbon dioxide emissions in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [8912]
Dawn Primarolo:
Previously published projections of carbon emissions in the year 2010 incorporate the effects of the 5 per cent. escalator to the year 2000. Real increases of 6 per cent. rather than 5 per cent. in the years to 2000 will reduce projected annual carbon emissions by around 0.2 million tonnes in the year 2010. Application of the 6 per cent. escalator for the life of this Parliament will provide savings of 2.5 million tonnes.
Sir Richard Body:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if public money will be provided to campaigners in a referendum on the single currency; what the upper limit will be on permitted spending during such a campaign; and if he will make a statement. [10198]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 22 July 1997]: The Government have not considered the detailed arrangements for any referendum on the European single currency. The Government are committed to holding a referendum if the Government and Parliament decide that the United Kingdom should join the single currency.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money will be allocated per annum for insulation materials under the welfare-to-work environmental task force initiative to enable young people to insulate the homes of pensioners. [8986]
Mrs. Liddell:
Some £3,150 million of the proceeds of the windfall tax has been allocated for the new deal for those under 25 who have been unemployed over six months. The environmental task force is one of four options for young people. The division of expenditure between these options will depend on the choices made by young people in consultation with designated case
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workers and in the light of the opportunities available in each of the four options in that area. No overall expenditure has been specifically earmarked for insulation materials under the environmental task force.
Mr. Dafis:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the estimated cost to the Exchequer of tax relief for the charitable status of private schools (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in Wales in the last year for which figures are available. [10659]
Dawn Primarolo:
I regret that this information is not available.
Mr. Colvin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the impact on state pensioners' fuel bills of the reduction in VAT on domestic fuel; and if he will make a statement. [7663]
Dawn Primarolo:
The average household would save £18 per year from a reduction in VAT on domestic fuel and power from 8 to 5 per cent. Pensioners will benefit most in proportion to income.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of changes in the rate of excise on unleaded petrol on the use of unleaded petrol by those drivers whose cars are able to use either four-star or unleaded petrol. [10252]
Dawn Primarolo:
It is not possible to calculate from the information available the impact of the changes in the rate of excise duty on unleaded petrol on those drivers who may choose whether to use four-star or unleaded petrol.
Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would be the financial impact to the Exchequer of reducing the differential between the rate of excise on unleaded fuel and four-star fuel by 1p per litre and the rate of excise on city diesel by 1p per litre. [10255]
Dawn Primarolo:
Using the hon. Member's assumption, the impact of increasing the duty rates on unleaded petrol and diesel by 1p per litre would yield approximately £185 million and £165 million in 1998 and 1999 respectively. Costings take account of the effects on behaviour where they are likely to have a significant effect on the yield and any consequential changes in receipts from related taxes including VAT and are measured against a non-indexed base. City diesel, is currently taxed at the same rate as ordinary diesel but is awaiting Royal Assent to the Finance Bill.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent question on public finance.
The ONS does not hold detailed information on how public finances are measured in other member states.
However, all member states are required to calculate their General Government Financial Deficit (GGFD) in accordance with the European System of Accounts (ESA) second edition. This system applies a mixture of cash and accruals recording, depending on the type of transaction. The system accepts that, for public finances, cash measurement is acceptable for most transactions. GGFD statistics produced by member states are checked by the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) to ensure compliance with the ESA.
Most countries use cash measurement for expenditure and taxes in the GGFD. This is the statistic used to monitor performance for Economic and Monetary Union.
For domestic purposes, member states use a variety of different statistics to monitor and control public finances. The ONS does not keep information on this.
(2) what representations he has received regarding the closure and merger of district valuation offices; and if he will make a statement. [9179]
I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions to the Chancellor (refs 9178 and 9179 of 15 July) in which you ask for information concerning the Agency's reorganisation proposals.
The proposals for streamlining the Agency network of local valuation offices were detailed to constituency MPs in a letter of 19 July 1995 from the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Mrs Angela Knight. And on 10 May 1996 the VOA's former Chief Executive, John Langford, wrote to you in response to your concerns about the proposed closure of Burnley Valuation Office.
Since this time, the Agency has been piloting its proposed new structure in the Leeds, York and Halifax offices and the results are due to be evaluated shortly.
Dawn Primarolo, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Minister with responsibility for the VOA, has already been supplied with a good deal of background material on the restructuring initiative which she will be considering carefully and discussing the proposals with me very shortly. The plans are subject to ongoing discussions with national Trade Union representatives and she will be seeing them too.
At the commencement of the restructuring programme the Agency advised all interested parties, including Members of Parliament and Local Authorities of the proposals.
No final decision on implementing will be made before the views of all concerned have been carefully considered.
I hope you will find the above helpful but if I can assist further then please let me know.
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