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United Nations Register of Conventional Arms
Ms Rosie Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make available a copy of the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms; and if he will make a statement.[15911]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
A copy of the UN Secretary-General's report has been placed in the Libraries of the House. We are disappointed that the 1997 Group of Experts reviewing the operation and development of the UN Arms Register was unable to agree any substantive measures to expand or strengthen the Register. Our aims remain clear: to encourage increased participation by UN member states; to broaden the scope of the Register by including military holdings and procurement from national production on the same basis as imports and exports; to expand current categories of equipment to include weapons of lesser capability; and to encourage the provision of details of the type of equipment transferred. We shall continue to use both bilateral and multilateral contacts to encourage States to work towards these goals. We welcome the Group of Experts' agreement on recommendations for several technical adjustments. We fully endorse these recommendations and urge other States to do the same.
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Ms Rosie Winterton:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the Commonwealth Centre event held in Edinburgh during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. [15961]
Mr. Tony Lloyd:
The first ever "Commonwealth Centre" highlighted the importance of the role of non-governmental organisations in the Commonwealth. With our full support, the Commonwealth Centre--led by the Royal Commonwealth Society and supported by the Commonwealth Foundation, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, the British Council and the Prince's Trust--hosted a full programme of conferences, discussions, workshops and exhibitions by over 100 organisations. It was a tremendous success. Over 25,00 members of the public and 20 Heads of Government, led by my right honourable Friend the Prime Minister and the Commonwealth Secretary General, visited the Centre.
Mr. Watts:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out the Government's strategy for maintaining the maximum number of objective 1 and 2 assisted areas in the United Kingdom after 1999. [15030]
Mrs. Roche:
I have been asked to reply.
The European Commission published its suggestions for the future of the Structural and Cohesion Funds on 16 July as part of its communication "Agenda 2000". In discussions with the Commission and other Member States, the Government are pressing for future arrangements which are affordable, durable and fair to the United Kingdom as well as to other Member States.
Correspondence
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average time taken by his Department to give full answers to letters received from hon. Members. [13959]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 4 November 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 3 November 1997, Official Report, column 5. The 1997 figures will be published in due course.
Taxation (Marginal Rates) Deduction
Mr. Webb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of working age currently face combined marginal rates of withdrawal of tax, national insurance contributions and means-tested benefits of (a) under 50 per cent., (b) 50-69 per cent., (c) 60-69 per cent., (d) 70-79 per cent., (e) 80-89 per cent. and (f) 90 per cent. or above. [14022]
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Dawn Primarolo:
Figures for the number of families estimated to be facing high marginal deduction rates, for 1996-97 are contained in the following table:
| Marginal deduction rate | Number at or above the rate |
|---|---|
| (per cent.) | (thousands) |
| 100+ | 5 |
| 90+ | 105 |
| 80+ | 360 |
| 70+ | 645 |
| 60+ | 655 |
| 50+ | 660 |
Source:
Based on Family Resources Survey, uprated to 1996-97 levels, adjusted to benefit caseloads using Housing Benefit Management Statistics and the Family Credit Statistical Sample. Figures are calculated for benefit units in receipt of income-related benefits where at least one partner works 16 hours a week or more.
National Audit Office
Mr. Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to extend the powers of the National Audit Office to enable it to have access to the financial records of any organisation which has received public money; and if he will make a statement. [14476]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have no plans to introduce legislation in this area.
Taxation Changes
Mr. John Cryer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the income which would have accrued to the Treasury in each year if income tax rates had remained unchanged after the 1979 general election; [14706]
- (2) if he will estimate the additional income, which would have accrued to the Treasury in each year if the four top rates of income tax had not been abolished in March 1988. [14705]
Dawn Primarolo: Such an analysis could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Taxation (Married Couples)
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it is the Government's policy to retain the independent taxation of husband and wife. [14941]
Dawn Primarolo: All aspects of the tax system are kept under review to ensure it achieves the Government's objectives.
Monitor Consultancy
Mr. MacShane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the nature and value of contracts his Department has entered into and (b) discussions ministers or officials have held with the Monitor Consultancy since 1990. [14955]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 7 November 1997]: Since April 1991, when the Treasury installed a central, computerised procurement system, no contract has been let to the Monitor Consultancy. A check of all file titles since 1990 has yielded no record of any contract between 1990 and April 1991 or of any discussions between
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Ministers, Officials and the Monitor Consultancy since 1990. An exhaustive check of relevant files could only be undertaken at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who was responsible for drawing up the terms of reference for the comprehensive spending review of the intelligence agencies. [14514]
Mr. Gordon Brown
[holding answer 10 November 1997]: The Terms of Reference were approved by Ministers after inter-departmental consultation including the Security and Intelligence Agencies.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the individuals who will undertake the comprehensive spending review of the Intelligence Services announced on 30 October; what arrangements have been made to make public the outcome; and when the review will be complete. [14512]
Mr. Gordon Brown:
Staff from the Cabinet Office, the Security and Intelligence Agencies and the Efficiency Unit will undertake the review. Ministers will decide if the outcome of the review should be published. The review will follow the comprehensive spending review timetable and will be completed by summer 1998.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement of 27 October, Official Report, column 587, what will be the scope of the new competition legislation; and with which bodies he (a) has consulted and (b) proposes to consult. [15357]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer was referring to the Competition Bill, which was introduced in the Hose of Lords on 15 October. A consultation document on the Bill was published in August by the President of the Board of Trade.
Mr. Jim Cunningham:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce VAT on energy-saving materials. [15465]
Dawn Primarolo:
Customs have completed their review on this subject and are now preparing a report for publication.
Mr. Timms:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the publication arrangements will be for the new quarterly report on the official reserves, and if he will make a statement. [16117]
Mrs. Liddell:
A report on the reserves in July--September 1997 will be published by the Treasury on Tuesday 2 December. Subsequent quarterly reports will be published two months after the end of the quarter concerned. The report will include data on any holdings by the Bank of England. This follows the Chancellor's statement on 6 May that the Bank will have its own separate pool of foreign exchange reserves which it may use at its discretion to intervene in support of its monetary policy objective.
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