| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Euro
29. Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with the Monetary Policy Committee on shadowing the euro. [66546]
Ms Hewitt: The Government have no intention of shadowing the euro.
34. Mr. Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has receiving calling for the United Kingdom to join the Euroland countries. [66551]
Ms Hewitt:
The Government's policy on UK membership of EMU was set out clearly by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his statement to the House of Commons in October 1997. The key factor is whether the economic benefits of joining are clear and unambiguous. To make that decision the Chancellor of
28 Jan 1999 : Column: 348
the Exchequer has set out five economic tests which would have to be met before the UK could join the single currency.
30. Mr. McNulty:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans for expenditure on the modernisation of the public services in respect of the Public Service Agreements. [66547]
Mr. Milburn:
The Public Service Agreements set out the objectives and targets which we will deliver in return for the investment agreed in the Comprehensive Spending Review.
31. Ann Clwyd:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the reasons for the omission of development aid as a priority in the programme of Agenda 2000. [66548]
Ms Hewitt:
The Agenda 2000 negotiation will set the overall total for EC aid. During the subsequent discussions, which will determine how this amount is allocated between programmes, the UK will argue strongly for an increase in the share going to the world's poorest countries.
36. Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what would have been the cost of not staging last year's pay awards to (a) nurses, midwives and health visitors, (b) professions allied to medicine and (c) teachers. [66553]
Mr. Milburn:
It would not have been possible to meet the commitment to keep within spending plans without staging last year's recommendations by the pay review bodies.
Mr. Hancock:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what quantity of beer has been seized by HM Customs officials at Portsmouth Ferry Port in each quarter since January 1993. [67130]
Dawn Primarolo:
The information requested is not available in this form. Specific figures are available by each financial year for the quantity of beer from within the European Union seized by Excise Verification Officers at Portsmouth since April 1993.
| Year | Litres |
|---|---|
| 1993-94 | 20,753 |
| 1994-95 | 10,874 |
| 1995-96 | 41,747 |
| 1996-97 | 79,397 |
| 1997-98 | 38,906 |
| 1998-99 | (4)40,629 |
(4) April to December
Inheritance Tax Exemption
Mr. Lepper:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for the Brighton and Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex local authority areas (a) the locations
28 Jan 1999 : Column: 349
of land in respect of which conditional exemption from inheritance tax is currently allowed, (b) the number of cases in which such exemption has been lost or deferred tax charged as a result of breaches of the conditions related to exemption in 1998-99 and (c) the location of land in respect of which exemption has been lost or deferred tax charged in each of the last five years because of breaches of the relevant conditions. [67204]
Dawn Primarolo:
The normal rules on taxpayer confidentiality currently prevent me from providing the requested information.
The Finance Act 1998 strengthened the conditions of the inheritance tax exemption, including the rules on disclosure of information to the public. The Inland Revenue are accordingly reviewing existing exemptions with a view to re-negotiating owners' undertakings so as to secure publication of information about tax-exempt assets and the arrangements on public access. Once the undertakings have been revised, that information will be available on the Internet.
Mr. Michael J. Foster:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for departmental (a) White and (b) Green Papers to be made available on floppy disk format in a form which facilitates access for the visually impaired. [67848]
Ms Hewitt:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 27 January 1999, Official Report, column 296.
The Treasury will make arrangements for White and Green Papers to be made available on disk in a form accessible to the visually impaired, as and when this service is requested.
Currently, all public Treasury documents are produced in the optimum typeface sizes for legibility. These are also available on the Internet, where they can be heard by visually handicapped people who have access to a "talking computer", or can be displayed and printed out as text of any size.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the average overall tax burden for a taxpayer in the United Kingdom for each of the last five years. [67731]
Dawn Primarolo:
Information on income tax as a percentage of median income for each of the last five years is shown in table 2.8 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1998, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Estimating the impact of indirect taxes is imprecise as spending patterns vary widely between households with the same composition and income.
Mr. Soames:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to encourage an environmentally sustainable economy in Britain. [67278]
28 Jan 1999 : Column: 350
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 25 January 1999]: The Government's approach to sustainable development is based on four broad objectives: maintenance of high and stable levels of growth and employment; social progress which recognises the needs of everyone; effective protection of the environment and prudent use of natural resources.
The Comprehensive Spending Review included a range of measures expected to make a positive impact on the environment, including additional money for the integrated transport strategy which will help tackle congestion and air pollution; more money for energy efficiency to help alleviate fuel poverty and meet our commitments on climate change; and more money to countryside programmes.
The tax system also has an important role to play in underpinning this strategy. Important changes were made to fuel duties and the landfill tax in the first two Budgets. The Government will continue to explore the scope for using the tax system to deliver environmental objectives, in line with the Statement of Intent on environmental taxation.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 14 January 1998, Official Report, columns 286-87, if he will state (a) what further key elements will be necessary to change the current transitional system of VAT to a definitive (Common) system other than those contained in Commission Document COM (96) 328 FIN, (b) when any Resolution was passed by either House relating thereto and (c) what consideration has been given to related proposals in the ECOFIN Council, or any of its subsidiary bodies. [67936]
Dawn Primarolo:
Commission document COM (96) 328 FIN is a comprehensive and detailed work programme, with a supporting timetable, for changing the current transitional EC VAT system into an origin-based definitive or Common system. To implement this Common VAT system no further key elements are required.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the establishment of the Inquiry into Allegations of Fraud within the European Commission, setting out (a) to whom the report of the Inquiry will be addressed, (b) the names of those who will carry out the Inquiry, (c) the terms of reference of the Inquiry and (d) the Inquiry's (i) powers and (ii) procedure. [67932]
Ms Hewitt:
On 14 January the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling, among other things for a committee of independent experts to be convened under the auspices of the Parliament and the Commission with a mandate to examine the way in which the Commission detects and deals with fraud, mismanagement and nepotism. The President of the European Commission agreed to the establishment of such a committee.
I understand that the composition and modus operandi of the committee have not yet been finalised.
28 Jan 1999 : Column: 351
(Access for Visually Impaired)
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |