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VAT Agreement
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the current VAT agreement expires; and what representations he has received from the European Commission concerning its renewal. [16695]
Dawn Primarolo: The Sixth VAT Directive (77/388) is the principal European Community (EC) level agreement on VAT, and remains in force automatically in the absence of unanimous agreement to change it. The European Commission has published a suggested programme for progress towards a "common system" of VAT to apply throughout the European Community, but has yet to produce any legislative proposals on the substantive VAT issues of its programme.
VAT (Cereal Bars)
Sir Nicholas Lyell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why Fruesli bars manufactured by W. Jordans (Cereal) Ltd. and Multigrain bars manufactured by Kelloggs Ltd. are treated differently as regards their liability for value added tax; and if he will make a statement. [16493]
Dawn Primarolo: Cereal bars and similar products, other than cakes, are liable to VAT at the standard rate. Wherever a line is drawn between such items as cakes and confectionery, there are bound to be problems as to which side of the borderline a particular item falls.
Harmful Tax Competition
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy towards the document on harmful tax competition recently produced by the European Commission. [14088]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 3 November 1997]: The Government deposited an Explanatory Memorandum on 17 November 1997 on the Commission Communication of 5 November 1997, "A Package to Tackle Harmful Tax Competition in The European Union." (COM (97) 564).
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in relation to the European Commission tax harmonisation proposals contained in the document, "Towards Tax Co-ordination in the European Union: A Package to Tackle Harmful Tax Competition." (COM (97) 495 Final). [14463]
19 Nov 1997 : Column: 235
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 5 November 1997]: The Commission Communication "Towards Tax Co-ordination in the European Union: A Package to Tackle Harmful Tax Competition" (COM (97) 945 Final) was superseded by the 5 November 1997 Commission Communication "A Package to Tackle Harmful Tax Competition in The European Union" (COM (97) 564). The Government deposited an Explanatory Memorandum on 17 November 1997 on the latter text.
Mrs. Gillan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the review of insurance premium tax, with particular reference to the travel industry, will be completed. [16201]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 17 November 1997]: There is no general review of insurance premium tax. However, as is usual with significant new tax measures, I have asked officials in Customs and Excise to monitor the effect of the introduction of the higher rate of insurance premium tax. It is too early yet to draw any firm conclusions from this monitoring process and I expect that is will continue into the New Year.
Mr. Willetts:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the oral answer of 13 November 1997, Official Report, columns 1034-35, how many young people currently have been unemployed for six months or longer. [16650]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 18 November 1997]: 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. David Willetts, dated 19 November 1997:
19 Nov 1997 : Column: 236
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the members of the management board of the Dorneywood Trust; and if he will make a statement. [16156]
Mr. Gordon Brown
[holding answer 18 November 1997]: The Dorneywood Trust is a private charity and is not accountable to my Department.
Mr. Gordon Prentice:
To ask the Minister without Portfolio how many hours per week he devotes to work on the Millennium Experience. [16923]
Mr. Mandelson:
This varies from week to week but I devote whatever time I judge necessary to fulfilment of my responsibilities in this area.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has asked me to reply, as the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), to your recent question asking how many young people have been unemployed for six months or more.
The ONS measure of unemployment, derived from the quarterly Labour Force Survey, is defined on a consistent and internationally recognised basis set out by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and counts as unemployed people who are: (a) without a paid job; (b) available to start work within the next two weeks and (c) have either looked for work in the last four weeks or are waiting to start a job already obtained. According to the spring 1997 Labour Force Survey there were an estimated 206,000 people aged 18-24 in the United Kingdom who had been ILO unemployed for six months or more.
ONS also publishes the monthly claimant count, which is based on the administrative system which records all people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or National Insurance (NI) credits) at Employment Service offices on the day of the monthly count, who on that day had signed on as unemployed and available to do any suitable work. Essentially, all people who attend an Employment Service office to sign on the designated day are counted. According to the October 1997 claimant count figures there were 122,000 people aged 18-24 in the United Kingdom who had been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits for more than six months. This is the figure Mr. Blunkett quoted in his original reply because your question was about young people and unemployment-related benefits.
Civil Service (Disability)
11. Mr. Heppell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what plans his Department has to improve the opportunities of people with disabilities for promotion and staff development within the civil service. [15102]
Mr. Kilfoyle: My Department has established a number of initiatives to improve opportunities for disabled staff in the Civil Service.
The Programme for Action for Disabled People in the Civil Service provides a framework to help departments and agencies recruit, develop and promote people on merit, regardless of whether they have a disability. Progress is monitored by my Department and reported to Parliament in the biennial Progress Report on Equal Opportunities in the Civil Service.
Overall numbers of disabled staff in the Service have risen. However, these tend to be concentrated in the lower levels. Action to address this situation is being taken primarily through the implementation of the recommendations made by an independent Advisory Panel on Equal Opportunities in the Senior Civil Service.
Mr. Canavan:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to encourage better employer-employee relations in the Civil Service. [15103]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster recently had a very constructive meeting with the General Secretaries of the Civil Service trade unions at which he discussed a range of issues connected with improving employer-employee relations within the Civil Service.
24. Mrs. Ann Winterton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to protect and promote the independence of the civil service. [15115]
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Dr. David Clark:
The role of the Civil Service, as set down in the Civil Service Code, is to assist the duly constituted Government of the day with integrity, honesty, impartiality and objectivity. Ministers are under a duty--set out in the Ministerial Code--to uphold the political impartiality of the Civil Service and not to ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the Civil Service Code. This Government are the first to commit Members to bringing forward legislation to give legal force to the Civil Service Code to ensure that the essential characteristics of a politically impartial Civil Service are enshrined in statute.
14. Mr. Chidgey:
To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures are in place to monitor the maintenance of charter mark standards in NHS hospital trusts. [15105]
Mr. Kilfoyle:
All Charter Mark applicants have to undergo a rigorous assessment process.
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