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Tesco Plc
Mrs. Shephard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions upon which Ministers and officials have met Tesco plc or their representatives or advisers since 1 May 1997. [50156]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 13 July 1998]: Treasury Ministers, special advisers and other officials have extensive dealings with organisations in both the public and private sectors as part of their official duties. It would be impracticable to maintain a central record of meetings with representatives of external bodies.
Illegal Drugs
Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cash value of the illegal drugs trade within the United Kingdom; and what assessment he has made of its impact on the United Kingdom economy. [50658]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 16 July 1998]: The Office for National Statistics published an article in the July 1998 edition of Economic Trends which provides some illustrative estimates of the value of illegal economic activities, including trade in drugs. A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons Library. The estimates are not yet sufficiently developed to give a reliable account of the impact on the UK economy.
Financial Securities
Ms Keeble:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about competition in the financial securities sector. [49370]
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 335
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 16 July 1998]: To date, the Treasury has received 143 responses to its consultation document about proposals to benchmark Individual Savings Accounts, "Making Saving Easy". Some of these responses have raised competition issues.
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what expenditure on promoting the euro is planned for (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000; [50422]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 13 July 1998]: The Government's communication campaign on the euro is aimed not at promoting the euro but at ensuring that UK businesses are aware of the implications of the introduction of the single currency from 1 January 1999, and to provide them with the information they need.
To this end the Treasury Euro Preparations Unit has received Summer Supplementary Estimate provision of £7.5 million to help raise business awareness of the implications of the launch of the euro, and to provide business with practical help during 1998-99. No expenditure has been authorised beyond this.
To date the Commission has agreed to provide £21,000 from the Community funds towards the costs of the publication and distribution of the Treasury booklet "EMU: Practical Information for Business", published last July. We will continue to talk to the Commission about the scope for further help with our campaign for raising business awareness for 1 January 1999.
Mr. Charles Clarke:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the assets identified in the National Asset Register which are located in the city of Norwich. [50823]
Mr. Darling:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 4 December 1997, Official Report, column 279.
The Government propose to consider, in the light of the reaction to the version published in November 1997, whether to produce further editions of the National Asset Register. As part of this exercise we will also consider what the appropriate level of detail of any future editions should be in the light of user's information needs and the cost implications of these.
Mr. Browne:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will consider the case for reform of the law and practice of compulsory purchase and blight in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [51646]
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 336
Mr. Macdonald:
The Scottish Office is looking closely at the case for reform of Scots law and practice in this area. In addition to Scottish based work, there will be Scottish participation in the review of the general principles being undertaken by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. This will ensure that any proposals for legislative change will take the separate Scottish context fully into account. Such change for Scotland will, of course, be a matter for the Scottish Parliament to consider.
Mr. Jim Murphy:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what has been the cost to public funds of expenses for Lord-Lieutenants in Scotland in each of the last 10 years. [50259]
Mr. McLeish:
Expenditure incurred by The Scottish Office on Lord-Lieutenants' expenses in each of the last 10 years is set out. Some local authorities also support lieutenancy activities. Information on any costs incurred is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(2) what EU funding he has applied for to promote the euro in (a) 1998-99 and (b) 1999-2000. [50354]
| £000 | |
|---|---|
| Year | Amount(7) |
| 1988-89 | 9 |
| 1998-90 | 10 |
| 1990-91 | 10 |
| 1991-92 | 12 |
| 1992-93 | 13 |
| 1993-94 | 14 |
| 1994-95 | 25 |
| 1995-96 | (8)43 |
| 1996-97 | 27 |
| 1997-98 | 24 |
(7) Figures rounded to the nearest £1,000
(8) Includes the cost of changes to lieutenancy boundaries resulting from local government reorganisation
Mr. Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many Lord-Lieutenants currently serve Scotland. [50260]
Mr. McLeish: The number of Lord-Lieutenants currently serving Scotland is 35.
Scottish Office Expenditure
Mr. Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will update tables 1.3 and 1.4 in Serving Scotland's Needs, published in April, to take account of changes in and projections of expenditure consequent on the Comprehensive Spending Review. [51050]
Mr. Dewar: Tables 1.3 and 1.4 were prepared in accordance with the previous public expenditure arrangements. The change in these arrangements announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 June 1998, Official Report, columns 1195-1201, has required some amendment to this form of presentation. The tables, therefore, present information updated to take account of the financial settlement for the financial years 1999-2000 to 2001-02, in the revised format. In accordance with normal practice, the tables have been rolled forward by one year.
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 337
(9) Under the new public expenditure control arrangements and devolution, the Barnett formula used to determine Scottish expenditure applies to the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) in place of the former Scottish Block. Full details of the definitional changes between the DEL and the Control Total were given in the "Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report 1998", published in June.
(10) Includes provision for the Crown Office, which will be within the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament.
(11) Total budget assigned to the Scottish Parliament. There are some differences between the coverage of the Assigned Budget and the former Scottish Bloc, the main one being the exclusion of non-domestic rates. Figures here include expenditure on Hill Livestock Compensatory Allowance of around £37 million per year which is included in the DEL but excluded from the Assigned Budget for control purposes until 1999-2000.
(12) Includes around £1 million for the New Deal for Young People in 1997-98 and £3 million for Childcare in 1998-99.
(13) Total expenditure financed by the Windfall Tax and administered by the Scottish Office. The majority of expenditure on the New Deal is administered for all of Great Britain by DfEE and DSS. Total expenditure in Scotland on the New Deal is projected to be over £450 million in the period 1997-2002.
(14) Figures for future years uprated in line with the RPI.
(15) Total Scottish public spending within the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament or administered by the Scottish Executive.
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 337
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 337
(16) Includes non-domestic rate payments, which are outside the DEL
(17) The requirement that local authorities must use 50 per cent. of non-housing capital receipts to redeem debt will be abolished from 1 August 1998. This will allow local authorities to raise an estimated £75 million per annum extra from asset sales
(18) Includes market support under the CAP, which is outside the DEL
(19) Reflects the new Resource Accounting treatment of student loans announced in the "Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report 1998", hence it includes total expenditure on student grants, but only the subsidy element of student loans
(20) Expenditure funded through the Capital Receipts Initiative is now included in the DEL. Housing figures also include Housing Support Grant, which is outside the DEL
(21) This line covers Industry, enterprise and training expenditure administered by the Scottish Office only. Further expenditure administered by other departments on the New Deal is projected to be around £75 million in 1998-99, and almost £90 million per year in each of 1999-2000 to 2001-02
(22) A large proportion of spending on law, order and protective services is included under central government support to local authorities
(23) Includes support to nationalised industries
(24) Includes around £1 million for the New Deal for Young People in 1997-98 and £3 million for Childcare in 1998-99. Additional support for schools' capital expenditure is included in support for non-housing local authority capital expenditure above
17 Jul 1998 : Column: 339
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