| No. 36 |
MONDAY 7TH JULY 1997 |
693 |
|
ORDER PAPER |
|
* Indicates a Question for Oral Answer
Questions marked thus [R] indicate that a relevant registered interest has been declared
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
| *1 |
Ms Candy Atherton (Falmouth and Camborne): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to ensure that crime prevention is given increased priority. |
| 5506 |
| *2 |
Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne and Sheppey): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to ensure that British citizens have greater human rights under the law. |
| 5507 |
| *3 |
Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received concerning the implementation of the workplace fire safety proposals. |
| 5508 |
| *4 |
Mr Bill O'Brien (Normanton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of wheel clamping. |
| 5509 |
| *5 |
Mr Christopher Fraser (Mid Dorset and North Poole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he intends to take to prevent children turning to crime; and if he will make a statement. |
| 5510 |
| *6 |
Mr Stephen Timms (East Ham): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how he plans to contribute to the European Year against Racism and Xenophobia. |
| 5511 |
| *7 |
Mr Damian Green (Ashford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce more severe minimum mandatory sentences for habitual (a) burglars and (b) dealers in hard drugs. |
| 5512 |
| *8 |
Mr John Heppell (Nottingham East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce a Bill to improve fire safety. |
| 5514 |
| *9 |
Mr Ian Cawsey (Brigg and Goole): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures he is proposing to tackle disorder and anti-social behaviour. |
| 5515 |
| *10 |
Mr Norman Baker (Lewes): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to amend the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement. |
| 5516 |
| *11 |
Miss Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone and The Weald): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with HM Chief Inspector of Prisons about a possible merger between the Prison and Probation services. |
| 5517 |
| *12 |
Mr Ian Bruce (South Dorset): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what representations he has received from councils in Dorset in respect of the provision of CCTV. |
| 5518 |
| *13 |
Mr James Gray (North Wiltshire): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will expand the provision of Closed Circuit Television. |
| 5519 |
| *14 |
Mr Nick Hawkins (Surrey Heath): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to increase the number of police constables. |
| 5520 |
| *15 |
Mr Gordon Prentice (Pendle): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make it his policy to give reasons for the refusal of an application for British citizenship. |
| 5521 |
| *16 |
Mr Keith Vaz (Leicester East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he is taking to regulate immigration advisers. |
| 5522 |
| *17 |
Mr David Borrow (South Ribble): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to give crime prevention a higher priority. |
| 5523 |
| *18 |
Mr John Hutton (Barrow and Furness): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to tackle offending by young people. |
| 5525 |
| *19 |
Paul Flynn (Newport West): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what new proposals he has to deter prisoners from engaging in criminal activity while in prison. |
| 5527 |
| *20 |
Mr Bill Rammell (Harlow): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has for local authorities to take on statutory responsibility for crime prevention. |
| 5529 |
| *21 |
Mr Bill Etherington (Sunderland North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he intends to take to ensure that crime prevention is given a higher priority. |
| 5530 |
| *22 |
Mr Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he next intends to meet ACPO to discuss the role of special constables. |
| 5531 |
| *23 |
Mr Michael Connarty (Falkirk East): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to consult local authorities on crime prevention matters. |
| 5532 |
| *24 |
Mr Desmond Browne (Kilmarnock and Loudoun): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his plans to incorporate into British law the European Convention on Human Rights. |
| 5533 |
| *25 |
Mr John Whittingale (Maldon and East Chelmsford): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many new prisons are intended to be built over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. |
| 5534 |
| *26 |
Mr Bill Olner (Nuneaton): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to deal with criminal anti-social behaviour in neighbourhoods. |
| 5535 |
| *27 |
Mr Jim Cunningham (Coventry South): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce the pressures on young people to engage in under-age consumption of alcohol. |
| 5536 |
| *28 |
Mr Matthew Taylor (Truro and St. Austell): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many police there are on average per head of population in (a) Cornwall and Devon and (b) England. |
| 5537 |
| *29 |
Mr Desmond Turner (Brighton, Kemptown): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to address the link between drugs and crime. |
| 5538 |
| *30 |
Mr Bob Laxton (Derby North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on his plans to make bribery of honourable Members an offence. |
| 5539 |
| *31 |
Mr Richard Spring (West Suffolk): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to encourage greater liaison between police officers and school pupils. |
| 5540 |
| *32 |
Mr Andrew Dismore (Hendon): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he is taking to regulate immigration advisers. |
| 5541 |
| *33 |
Mr Michael Fabricant (Lichfield): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will delegate the powers of determining pub opening hours to (a) local licensing magistrates or (b) local authorities; and if he will make a statement. |
| 5542 |
| *34 |
Mr John Cryer (Hornchurch): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to introduce measures to improve fire safety. |
| 5543 |
| *35 |
Ms Sally Keeble (Northampton North): To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to deal with racial harrassment. |
| 5545 |
AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS
Notice of Motion
Hairdressers Registration (Amendment): That leave be given to bring in a Bill to amend the Hairdressers (Registration) Act 1964 to provide for the regulation of the hairdressing industry; the training and mandatory registration of hairdressers; a complaints and compensation scheme for the protection of customers; the development and improvement of professional standards in hairdressing; and for related purposes.
ORDERS OF THE DAY AND NOTICES OF MOTIONS
Those marked thus * are Government Orders of the Day
|
| *1 |
WAYS AND MEANS: Adjourned Debate on
Question [2nd July]. |
|
| 1. The windfall
tax
A Motion was made and the Question being proposed, That
provision may be made for imposing a tax on the amount of the windfall from which a
company was benefitting on 2nd July 1997 in any case where--
(a) an undertaking whose privatisation involved the
imposition of economic regulation has been privatised by means of a flotation; and
(b) the profits of the undertaking in the period after the
flotation show that the company was benefitting on that date from a windfall from that
flotation.--(Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer):--
The remaining Motions in this item, numbered 2 to 24,
and those relating to Procedure (Future Taxation) and to Finance [Money] are to be moved
immediately after the decision on the preceding Motion. They will be decided forthwith,
pursuant to Standing Order No. 51(3).
2. Value added tax (fuel and
power)
(1) In section 2(1A) of the Value Added Tax Act 1994, for "8
per cent." there shall be substituted "5 per cent.".
(2) This Resolution applies in relation to any supply made on
or after 1st September 1997 and any acquisition or importation taking place on or after that
date.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
3. Spirits (rate of
duty) That provision may be made
increasing the rate of duty set out in section 5 of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act
1979.
4. Beer (rate of
duty) That provision may be made
increasing the rate of duty set out in section 36(1) of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act
1979.
5. Wine and made-wine (rates of
duty) That provision may be made
increasing the rates of duty set out in the Table in Schedule 1 to the Alcoholic Liquor Duties
Act 1979.
6. Cider (rates of
duty) That provision may be made
increasing the rates of duty set out in section 62(1A) of the Alcoholic Liquor Duties Act
1979.
7. Hydrocarbon oil (rates of duties and
rebates)
(1) In relation to times before the coming into force of
section 7(2) and (3) of the Finance Act 1997, section 6(1) of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act
1979 ("the 1979 Act") shall have effect as follows--
(a) for "£0.4168" there shall be substituted "£0.4510";
and
(b) for "£0.3686" there shall be substituted
"£0.4028".
(2) In relation to times after the coming into force of section
7(2) and (3) of the Finance Act 1997, section 6(1A) of the 1979 Act shall have effect as
follows--
(a) in paragraph (a), for "£0.4168" there shall be
substituted "£0.4510";
(b) in paragraph (b), for "£0.3586" there shall be
substituted "£0.3928"; and
(c) in paragraph (c), for "£0.3686" there shall be
substituted "£0.4028".
(3) In section 11(1) of the 1979 Act, for "£0.0194" and
"£0.0250" there shall be substituted "£0.0200" and "£0.0258", respectively.
(4) In section 14(1) of the 1979 Act, for "£0.0194" there shall
be substituted "£0.0200".
(5) This Resolution shall have effect as from 6 o'clock in the
evening of 2nd July 1997.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
As an Amendment to Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer's
proposed Motion (No. 7) (Hydrocarbon oil (rates of duties and rebates)): |
|
Mr John Swinney
Mrs Margaret Ewing
Mr Alex Salmond
Mr Andrew Welsh
Ms Roseanna Cunningham
Mr Alasdair Morgan |
| | (a) |
|
Line 4,after 'effect',
insert '(except in respect of residents of predominantly rural areas)'.
8. Tobacco products (rates of duty)
That provision may be made increasing the rates of duty set
out in the Table in Schedule 1 to the Tobacco Products Duty Act 1979.
9. Vehicle excise duty (increase in
rates)
That provision may be made increasing the rates of duty set
out in Schedule 1 to the Vehicle Excise and Registration Act 1994.
10. Vehicle licensing (fees with licence
applications)
That provision may be made enabling the Secretary of State
to require payments to be made to him in connection with--
(a) steps taken by him for facilitating the transmission
of information to him electronically in connection with licence applications under the Vehicle
Excise and Registration Act 1994, and
(b) the processing of such applications where
information is so transmitted.
11. Withdrawal of relief on medical insurance
premiums
(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) below, relief under
section 54 of the Finance Act 1989 shall not be given in respect of any payment where either--
(a) the premium in respect of which the payment is
made is a premium under a contract entered into on or after 2nd July 1997; or
(b) the payment is received by the insurer on or after
6th April 1999.
(2) Paragraph (1) above shall not affect the giving of relief in
respect of a payment received by an insurer before 6th April 1999 where--
(a) the premium in respect of which the payment is
made is a premium under a contract entered into on or after 2nd July 1997 but before 1st
August 1997;
(b) the contract is one entered into in pursuance of a
written proposal received by or on behalf of the insurer before 2nd July 1997;
(c) the contract is not a contract entered into by way of
the renewal of an earlier contract; and
(d) if the payment is not itself a payment received
before 1st August 1997, the insurer had before 1st August 1997 received an earlier payment
in respect of a premium under the contract in question.
(3) Paragraph (1) above shall not affect the giving of relief in
respect of a payment received by an insurer before 6th April 1999 where--
(a) the premium in respect of which the payment is
made is a premium under a contract entered into on or after 2nd July 1997 but before 1st
August 1997;
(b) that contract is one entered into by way of the
renewal of an earlier contract;
(c) the period of insurance under the earlier contract
ended before 2nd July 1997; and
(d) if the payment is not itself a payment received
before 1st August 1997, the insurer had before 1st August 1997 received an earlier payment
in respect of a premium under the renewal contract.
(4) For the purposes of the preceding provisions of this
Resolution a contract shall be taken to have been entered into by way of the renewal of an
earlier contract only if--
(a) it was entered into by way of the renewal of a
contract which was an eligible contract for the purposes of section 54 of the Finance Act 1989
when that earlier contract was entered into;
(b) the insurer under the earlier contract and the
insurer under the contract by which it has been renewed are the same; and
(c) the period of insurance under the earlier contract
ended immediately before the beginning of the period of insurance under the contract by
which it has been renewed.
(5) This Resolution has effect for the year 1997-98 and
subsequent years of assessment.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
12. Corporation tax (rates for financial year
1997)
(a) the rate at which corporation tax is charged for the
financial year 1997 shall be, and shall be deemed always to have been, 31 per cent. (and not
33 per cent. as provided by section 58 of the Finance Act 1997); and
(b) the small companies' rate for that year shall be, and
shall be deemed always to have been, 21 per cent. (and not 23 per cent. as provided by
section 59(a) of that Act).
13. Surplus franked investment
income That provision may be made in
relation to sections 242 to 244 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
14. Tax credits (pension
funds)
(1) In section 231 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act
1988--
(a) in subsection (2) for "Subject to section 241(5)"
there shall be substituted "Subject to sections 231A and 241(5)"; and
(b) at the beginning of subsection (3) there shall be
inserted "Subject to section 231A,".
(2) After section 231 of the Income and Corporation Taxes
Act 1988 there shall be inserted-- |
"Restrictions
on the use of tax credits by
pension funds. |
231A.--(1) No claim shall be made under section 231(2) for payment of
the amount of a tax credit if or to the extent that the qualifying distribution to which the credit
relates is income of a pension fund.
(2) In the case of any pension fund, for any year of
assessment the aggregate amount of the tax credits in respect of which claims are made
under section 231(3) must not exceed the aggregate amount of the tax credits in respect of
the qualifying distributions comprised in the income of the pension fund and brought into
charge to tax.
(3) Accordingly, no payment shall be made under section
231(3) in respect of so much of the excess there mentioned as is referable to a tax credit in
respect of a qualifying distribution if or to the extent that the qualifying distribution is income of
a pension fund.
"income", in relation to a pension fund, means income
derived from investments or deposits held for the purposes of the pension fund;
"pension fund" means any scheme, fund or other
arrangements established and maintained (whether in the United Kingdom or elsewhere) for
the purpose of providing pensions, retirement annuities, allowances, lump sums, gratuities or
other superannuation benefits (with or without subsidiary benefits);
"scheme" includes any deed, agreement or series of
agreements.
(5) For convenience of identification only, the schemes,
funds or other arrangements which are "pension funds" for the purposes of this section by
virtue of the definition of that expression in subsection (4) above include, in particular, those
whose income is, in whole or in part, exempt, or eligible for exemption, from tax under or by
virtue of any of the following provisions--
(e) section 614(2), (3), (4) or (5);
(6) The preceding provisions of this section do not have
effect in relation to--
(a) claims made in respect of tax credits to which
entitlement arises by virtue of section 232(3); or
(b) claims made by virtue of arrangements having
effect under section 788."
|
|
| |
(3) This Resolution has effect in relation to qualifying
distributions made on or after 2nd July 1997.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
15. Insurance companies and friendly societies (tax
credits)
(1) In paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 19AB to the Income and
Corporation Taxes Act 1988--
(a) the words "the aggregate of" shall cease to have
effect; and
(b) paragraph (b) shall cease to have
effect.
(2) For the purposes of section 121 of the Finance Act 1993,
Schedule 19AB to the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 shall be deemed to have
effect without the amendments made by paragraph (1) above.
(3) Paragraph (1) above has effect in relation to distributions
made on or after 2nd July 1997.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
16. Insurance companies, friendly societies and
Lloyd's underwriters That provision may be
made, in the case of insurance companies, friendly societies and Lloyd's underwriters, in
relation to, or in connection with amending provisions relating to, distributions and tax
credits.
17. Dealers in shares and other
securities That provision may be made for
and in connection with amending sections 95 and 732 of the Income and Corporation Taxes
Act 1988.
18. Payments representing tax credits
etc That provision may be made--
(a) about payments to which section 687 of the Income
and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 applies;
(b) about arrangements under which a person receives
a payment representing any of the value of a tax credit received by another; and
(c) for and in connection with amending section 699A
of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
19. Unauthorised unit
trusts
(1) Where a qualifying distribution--
(a) is made on or after 2nd July 1997 but before 6th
April 1999 by a company resident in the United Kingdom, and
(b) falls to be regarded by virtue of subsection (2) of
section 469 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 as income of the trustees of a unit
trust scheme to which that section applies, and
(c) is not a foreign income dividend and does not
(apart from this Resolution) fall to be regarded by virtue of any provision of the Tax Acts as a
foreign income dividend arising to the trustees,
the trustees shall be treated for all purposes of the Tax Acts (but not this Resolution) as if the qualifying distribution were a foreign income dividend.
(2) Paragraph (1) above shall not apply--
(a) if the unit trust scheme is a common investment
fund established under section 42 of the Administration of Justice Act 1982; or
(b) if, apart from section 469(2) of the Income and
Corporation Taxes Act 1988, the whole of the qualifying distribution would fall to be regarded
as income of section 505 bodies.
"foreign income dividend" shall be construed in
accordance with Chapter VA of Part VI of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act
1988;
"section 505 body" means--
(a) a charity, as defined in section 506(1) of the Income and Corporation
Taxes Act 1988;
(b) a body mentioned in section 507 of that Act; or
(c) an Association of a description specified in section 508 of that
Act.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of the
Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
20. Relief for losses etc
That provision may be made limiting--
(a) the period for which amounts may be carried back
under section 393A of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 or paragraph 3 of
Schedule 8, paragraph 4(3) of Schedule 11 or paragraph 23 of Schedule 15 to the Finance
Act 1996; and
(b) the amount that may be allowed by way of group
relief on a claim under Chapter IV of Part X of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act
1988.
21. Capital
allowances That provision may be made
amending the Capital Allowances Act 1990 for the purpose of--
(a) allowing first-year allowances to be made under
Part II of that Act in respect of expenditure incurred by small and medium-sized companies
and businesses on or after 2nd July 1997 and before 2nd July 1998; and
(b) modifying the operation of that Act in cases where
machinery or plant is made available for use directly or indirectly as a consequence of any
such arrangements as fall, in accordance with normal accountancy practice, to be treated as a
finance lease or as a loan.
22. Relief for film production and acquisition
expenditure That provision may be made
increasing the amounts of film production and acquisition expenditure incurred before 2nd July
2000 that are relievable under section 42 of the Finance (No. 2) Act 1992.
23. Stamp duty (conveyances and transfers on
sale) That the following provisions shall
have effect for the period beginning 8th July 1997 and ending 31 days after the earliest of the
dates mentioned in section 50(2) of the Finance Act 1973--
(1) Section 55 of the Finance Act 1963 and section 4 of the
Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 1963 shall each be amended in accordance with the provisions
of paragraphs (2) to (4) below.
(2) Subject to the modification mentioned in paragraph (5)
below, in subsection (1), for paragraphs (b) and (c) there shall be substituted--
"(b) where paragraph (a) above does not apply and--
(i) the amount or value of the consideration does not exceed £500,
and
(ii) the instrument is certified as described in section 34(4) of the Finance Act
1958 at £250,000,
the rate of 50p for every £50 or part of £50 of the consideration;
(c) where paragraph (a) above does not apply and--
(i) the amount or value of the consideration exceeds £500 but does not
exceed £250,000, and
(ii) the instrument is certified as described in section 34(4) of the Finance Act
1958 at £250,000,
the rate of £1 for every £100 or part of £100 of the consideration;
(d) where paragraphs (a) to (c) above do not apply
and--
(i) the amount or value of the consideration does not exceed £500,000,
and
(ii) the instrument is certified as described in section 34(4) of the Finance Act
1958 at £500,000,
the rate of £1.50p for every £100 or part of £100 of the consideration;
(e) in any other case the rate of £2 for every £100 or
part of £100 of the consideration;".
(3) In subsection (1A) for "paragraph (c)" there shall be
substituted "paragraph (e)".
(a) after the words "shall have effect as if" there shall
be inserted "(a)", and
(b) after the word "omitted" there shall be inserted--
(b) in paragraph (d) for the words "paragraphs (a) to
(c)" there were substituted the words "paragraphs (b) and (c)"."
(5) In section 4 of the Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 1963,
for the words "section 34(4) of the Finance Act 1958" wherever they occur, there shall be
substituted the words "section 7(4) of the Finance Act (Northern Ireland) 1958".
(6) This Resolution shall apply to instruments executed on or
after 8th July 1997, except where the instrument in question is executed in pursuance of a
contract made on or before 2nd July 1997.
And it is hereby declared that it is expedient in the public
interest that this Resolution should have statutory effect under the provisions of section 50 of
the Finance Act 1973.
24. Statutory effect of
resolutions That provision may be made
amending section 1(3) of the Provisional Collection of Taxes Act 1968.
Procedure (Future Taxation): That, notwithstanding anything
to the contrary in the practice of the House relating to the matters which may be included in
Finance Bills, any Finance Bill of the present Session may contain the following provisions
taking effect in a future year--
(a) provision relating to income tax relief for interest
payments;
(b) provision in relation to distributions received by
charities and persons to whom section 507 or 508 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act
1988 applies;
(c) provision relating to tax credits;
(d) provision relating to the taxation of dividends and
other distributions of companies;
(e) provision for or in connection with varying the rate
at which tax is charged under or by virtue of sections 249 and 421 of the Income and
Corporation Taxes Act 1988;
(f) provision for and in connection with the abolition of
foreign income dividends;
(g) provision for interest on gilt-edged securities to be
paid without deduction of income tax;
(h) provision for tax to be deducted on the payment of
public revenue dividends mentioned in section 118G(3) or (7) of the Income and Corporation
Taxes Act 1988; and
(i) provision substituting "August" for "May" in section
246(2)(b) of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988.
FINANCE [MONEY]: Queen's Recommendation
signified.
That for the purposes of any Act of the present Session
relating to finance, it is expedient to authorise the payment out of money provided by
Parliament of amounts which, by virtue of that Act, are payable to charities and persons to
whom section 507 or 508 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 applies in respect of
distributions received by them.
|
| A Bill is to be brought in upon the
foregoing Resolutions when they have been agreed to by the House. |
On the Motion for the Adjournment of the House under Standing Order No.9 Mr Eddie O'Hara proposes to raise the subject of operation of the law relating to paedophiles.
| COMMITTEE |
| SELECT COMMITTEE |
| |
| 1 |
Modernisation of the House of Commons |
6.00 p.m. |
Room 21 (private) |
|
