---

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

Protection from Harassment Act 1997

Mr. Beith: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he intends to implement sections 3(2) to 3(9) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. [13005]

Mr. Hoon: Subsections 3(3) to 3(9) of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 introduce, among other things, a system whereby the breach of an injunction granted by a civil court may be dealt with as a criminal offence. Rules and forms have been drafted for use by the High Court, county courts, the crown court and magistrates

4 Nov 1997 : Column: 98

courts to ensure that the process works effectively. Consultation on these is under way, and as soon as it is complete the outstanding subsections will be commenced.

Correspondence

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the average time taken by his Department to give full answers to letters received from hon. Members. [13958]

Mr. Hoon: For letters received since 1 May 1997 the average time is approximately 23 days, including weekends and bank holidays.

Access to Neighbouring Land Act

Mr. John D. Taylor: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proposals he has to extend the provisions of the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992 to Northern Ireland. [11995]

Mr. Hoon: There are no such proposals. The differences between the land laws of Northern Ireland and of England and Wales make such an extension impossible.

TREASURY

Euro Symbol

Sir Richard Body: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research his Department has undertaken into the ease with which the euro currency symbol will be distinguishable from that for sterling. [12534]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 27 October 1997]: The Royal Mint and Bank of England have been closely involved in preparatory work with other member states and national central banks on the design and specifications of euro coins and banknotes. On the basis of the provisional specifications for euro coins and the specifications for banknotes agreed in the European Monetary Institute they will be easily distinguishable from sterling coins and banknotes.

Late Payments

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the suppliers to his Department who are owed outstanding amounts, indicating the amounts and the due date on which the account should have been settled. [13551]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 30 October 1997]: At 29 October, there were 24 invoices outstanding with a value of £9,002. This represents 2.4 per cent. of invoices paid in a typical month. The value represents less than 1 per cent. of the typical average value of invoices paid per month.

The following table lists the 24 payments that are due to suppliers on 29 October, that will be paid more than 30 days after the receipt of the invoice and which are not in dispute.

4 Nov 1997 : Column: 99

Supplier	Number of invoices	Amounts due (£)	Due date
Ariane Languages	2	506	11 October 1997
Avis Rent a Car Ltd.	1	345	19 October 1997
Business Systems Group	1	100	17 October 1997
Corporate Express	3	802	2 October 1997
Corporate Express	2	3,072	26 October 1997
GBM Services	1	243	9 October 1997
Mitie Maintenance	1	1,079	2 October 1997
OHSA Ltd.	1	80	17 October 1997
Spectrum Computer Supp.	1	144	24 October 1997
Spectrum Computer Supp.	2	9	29 October 1997
Sykes and Son Ltd.	1	760	12 September 1997
Terminix Peter Cox Ltd.	2	197	13 September 1997
The Green Alliance	1	55	24 October 1997
The Royal York Hotel	1	70	26 October 1997
The Stationery Office	1	644	21 September 1997
Tigemeyer	1	244	9 October 1997
Vodaphone Corporate Ltd.	1	37	12 October 1997
University of Durham	1	615	15 October 1997
Total	24	9,002

Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state the amount allocated in each budget of the European Community for information relating to implementation of EMU; on what occasions such expenditure was authorised by the Economic and Finance Council; and what (a) observations and (b) votes were made by Ministers on each occasion. [12965]

Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 27 October 1997]: Funding for information relating to the implementation of EMU has been made available since 1996 under the European Commission's information programme for European citizens (Prince). The relevant budget line is B3306.

The EC Budget does not break down the overall level of Prince by individual programme. I would suggest that the hon. Member approaches the European Commission directly for this information.

The Budget Council have so far considered the budget allocation for Prince on four occasions--during their second reading of the 1996 budget on 17 November 1995, their first and second readings of the 1997 budget on 25 July 1996 and 19 November 1996, and their first reading of the 1998 budget on 24 July 1997.

On each occasion the Budget Council, supported by the UK, have reduced the budget allocation for Prince. However, since this spending is not obligatory under the treaty it has been the European Parliament that has in each case set the final level in the budget.

4 Nov 1997 : Column: 100

Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what extent Government investment in (a) additional building for maintained schools, (b) the national health service, (c) London Underground and (d) new roads counts within the totals of Government revenue, expenditure and borrowing used for the European monetary union convergence criteria. [12944]

Mr. Darling [holding answer 27 October 1997]: All current and capital expenditure by central and local government contributes to the general government financial deficit (GGFD), the Maastricht measure of the budget deficit. This includes all government grants to maintained schools and London Underground, and all Government spending on the national health service and new roads.

Government lending and government transactions in shares are not included in the GGFD. For example, government lending to London Underground, NHS trust hospitals and students does not increase GGFD. However, the government has to finance such lending through higher taxes or increased borrowing. Increased borrowing would add to general government gross debt--the Maastricht measure of Government debt.

Similarly, receipts from repayments of government lending, and from privatisation proceeds, do not reduce the GGFD but would reduce gross debt.

Taxation (EU)

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to preserve the protection of the British veto on tax matters in the European Union. [12843]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government has made it clear that EU tax matters will continue to be subject to unanimous agreement.

Savings

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what tax regime and investment allowances he proposes to apply to individual savings accounts; and if he will make a statement; [13031]

(2) if he plans to allow existing personal equity plans and tax-exempt special savings accounts account holders to retain their current tax incentives and annual investment allowances, under these schemes, following the introduction of the individual savings account in 1999; [13033]

(3) what estimate he has made of the annual cost or benefit to the Exchequer of introducing the individual savings account; [13039]

(4) if the introduction of the individual savings account will alter the contractual obligations between savers and saving institutions; and if he will make a statement. [13032]

Mr. Geoffrey Robinson: Consideration is currently being given, with interested parties, to the scope of tax-privileged savings from 1999. The matters referred to will be covered in a consultative document to be published later this year.

4 Nov 1997 : Column: 101

Insurance Premium Tax

Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations his Department has received on insurance premium tax for the travel industry. [13123]

Dawn Primarolo: I have received a number of representations on this subject.

Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's review of insurance premium tax; and what is the timetable for the review. [13122]

Dawn Primarolo: I have asked officials in Customs and Excise to monitor the effect of the introduction of the higher rate of insurance premium tax and this will include the impact of the differential tax treatment on travel agents. It is too early yet to draw any firm conclusions from this process and I anticipate that the monitoring will continue for some time. The issue of the application of the higher rate to travel insurance sold by travel agents will also be the subject of a judicial review hearing on 4 November. The conclusions of that hearing will clearly need to be taken into account when considering whether changes are necessary to this measure.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his Department's review of the impact of different rates of insurance premium tax as between travel agents and brokers. [14006]

Dawn Primarolo: I have asked officials in Customs and Excise to monitor the effect of the introduction of the higher rate of insurance premium tax and this will include the impact of the differential tax treatment on travel agents. It is too early yet to draw any firm conclusions from this process.

---