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Waste Minimisation
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on existing targets set to minimise waste within his Department. [11533]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: The Treasury has not set any waste minimisation targets but intends to do so in August 1997.
Ms Walley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a waste minimisation strategy for his Department. [11532]
Mr. Robinson:
The Treasury intends to have a waste minimisation strategy in place by August 1997.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 457
Ms Walley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the amount, and proportion, of paper recycled by his Department in each of the last five years. [11534]
Mr. Robinson:
The Treasury introduced a white paper recycling scheme in 1993. This scheme was extended to include newspapers in 1996 and the amounts recycled are as follows:
| Financial year | Kg | |
|---|---|---|
| White paper | 1993-94 | 7,230 |
| 1994-95 | 9,680 | |
| 1995-96 | 5,490 | |
| 1996-97 | 5,600 | |
| Newspapers | 1996-97 | 2,400 |
It is not possible to determine the proportion of total waste that this represents.
Tax and Benefits System
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the members of the committee reviewing the tax and benefits system headed by Mr. Martin Taylor. [11124]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson [holding answer 29 July 1997]: The task force headed by Martin Taylor is comprised of senior officials from HM Treasury, the Inland Revenue, the Department of Social Security and the Department for Education and Employment. The review will draw on other Departments as necessary.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are being made to encourage external submissions to the review on the tax and benefit system headed by Mr. Martin Taylor. [11126]
Mr. Robinson [holding answer 29 July 1997]: External submissions are welcome from all sources, and a number have already been received.
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the review of the tax and benefit system headed by Mr. Martin Taylor to be published. [11110]
Mr. Robinson [holding answer 29 July 1997]: I expect Martin Taylor's project to last about a year.
Auctioneers
Mr. Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his policy on the imposition of value added tax at 17.5 per cent. on (a) auctioneers' services and (b) imported works of art and antiques; and if he will make a statement. [11584]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
Goods imported into the UK normally bear VAT at the standard rate 17.5 per cent. Under the terms of a derogation from the sixth VAT directive, as amended by the seventh VAT directive, certain works of art, antiques and collectors' pieces are eligible until 30 June 1999 for an effective rate of VAT at importation of 2.5 per cent. After that date, the UK should increase the VAT rate to at least the normal minimum reduced rate of 5 per cent.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 458
Supplies of auctioneers' services to persons in the UK are normally liable to VAT at the standard rate of 17.5 per cent. Special arrangements apply when auctioneers' services are supplied in respect of certain works of art and so on held under temporary importation conditions and eligible for the effective rate of VAT of 2.5 per cent. on permanent importation. In these cases all auctioneers' services are taxed at the same effect rate of VAT as the goods themselves, though this is currently the subject of challenge by the European Commission.
Mr. Opik:
To ask the chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to allow claims to be made under the investors compensation scheme where the initial investment predates the formation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [11908]
Mrs. Liddell:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Mrs. May:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the responsibilities of (a) Her Majesty's Treasury and (b) the Bank of England regarding work on EMU and the single currency. [11726]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
HM Treasury is the Department responsible for Government policy regarding economic and monetary union. On 24 July, HM Treasury published a booklet to inform businesses about the practical implications of EMU, which will arise whether or not the United Kingdom joins the single currency. The Treasury has also recently announced the establishment of an advisory group of private sector representatives to provide a two-way exchange between the Government and business about the practical effects of EMU.
The Bank of England participates fully in the work of the European Monetary Institute. The Governor is a member of the Council of the EMI. The Bank of England will continue to be responsible for co-ordinating preparations in the financial sector, especially the wholesale financial markets which will need to be able to use the euro whether or not the United Kingdom joins the single currency.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of general Government consumption between spending programmes in cash. [11639]
Mr. Darling:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Mr. Lilley:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if the rebate for contracting out of SERPs was calculated by the Government Actuary on the basis of prospective investment yields after tax; [11651]
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 459
(3) what estimate was made in the Budget forecasts of the number of people who will opt back into the state earnings-related pensions scheme as a result of the abolition of advance corporation tax credits; [11652]
(4) what estimate he has made of the revenue impact over the next five years from people opting back into state earnings-related pensions scheme following the abolition of advance corporation tax credits. [11654]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
It is too early to assess the overall effects of the Budget tax changes on pension funds.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the tax advantages which exist under pre-March 1991 overseas trusts. [11645]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
The Chancellor announced in his Budget a wide-ranging review of all areas of tax avoidance.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of corporation tax revenue which is lost from the use of Channel Island trusts by British companies for executive incentive programmes in the last financial year. [11646]
Mr. Robinson:
There are no special corporation tax allowances or exemptions for British companies which remunerate their executives through incentive programmes, whether or not such programmes involve the use of Channel Islands trusts.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to discourage the placing by British companies of shares related to executive incentive schemes in offshore trusts. [11647]
Dawn Primarolo:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
Helen Jones:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by how much income exceeded expenditure at Warrington valuation office in 1996-97; [11592]
(3) how long he estimates it will take for Warrington valuation office to generate enough surplus income to cover the estimated costs of refurbishment. [11594]
Dawn Primarolo:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
31 Jul 1997 : Column: 460
Mr. Malcolm Bruce:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the displacement rate resulting from private sector substitution involving employees subsidised through his welfare-to-work proposals; what estimate he has made of the deadweight costs involved in such proposals; and if he will make a statement; [11604]
Mr. Geoffrey Robinson:
I regret that it has not been possible to provide a substantive answer before the summer recess. I shall write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of the letter in the Library.
(2) if he will take action against those providers of approved personal pensions who fail to review whether personal pension holders should opt back into the state earnings-related pensions scheme following the abolition of advance corporation tax credits; [11601]
(2) if the Warrington valuation office has sufficient surplus capacity to accommodate staff and files transferred from Bolton; [11593]
(2) if he will estimate the welfare benefit and other savings resulting from the welfare-to-work proposals in his Budget for (a) 1997-98, (b) 1998-99 and (c) 1999-2000; and if he will make a statement. [11603]
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