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VAT
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the EU legislative provisions which permit a reduction in the rate of VAT from 17½ per cent. to five per cent.; and if he will make a statement. [71000]
Dawn Primarolo: Under the provisions of Article 12(3)(a) of the Sixth VAT Directive, Member States have the option of applying one or two reduced rates of VAT, at not less than 5 per cent., to any of the goods and services specified in Annex H of that Directive.
Landfill Tax
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses were affected by the landfill tax announcement in the 1998 Budget; and if he will estimate the average cost per business. [70670]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 15 February 1999]: It is not possible to identify how many businesses send their waste to landfill instead of to another waste disposal option such as recycling or incineration. It is therefore not possible to given an average cost per business.
Trading Loss Carry Back
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have been affected by the 1997 Budget measure to restrict trading loss carry back to one year. [70675]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 15 February 1999]: The restriction on carry back of trading losses could affect up to 20,000 companies a year but the numbers will vary from year to year depending on trading conditions.
Driving Costs
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional revenue the average (a) private motorist and (b) company car driver will have contributed to the Exchequer as a result of the 1997 and 1998 budgets. [70681]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: The effect of Budget measures on private motorists and company car drivers will vary considerably; this reflects the differing circumstances of individual private motorists and company car drivers.
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 639
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households were affected by the reduction of VAT on fuel in the 1997 Budget; and what is the average change in (a) electricity and (b) gas bills. [70673]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 15 February 1999]: Approximately 24½ million households benefited from the reduction of VAT on fuel.
The cut in the VAT rate on domestic fuel from 8 per cent. to 5 per cent. in September 1997 is estimated to have reduced the bill for a typical household in 1998 by £7.50 for electricity and by £9.00 for gas.
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 640
Dr. David Clark:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the average percentage increase in salaries of non-industrial civil servants, excluding members of the senior civil service, in his Department for 1998-99; and to what extent the pay awards were staged. [69508]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 9 February 1999]: The headline pay settlement was 2.95 per cent. on the pay bill and together with the additional funds from staff turnover, staff in post received performance related increases averaging 3.9 per cent. The increases were not staged.
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 641
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate the Scottish Sports Council has made of the total revenue financial support provided by Scottish councils for sport in 1998-99 and in each of the previous five years. [69713]
Mr. Galbraith:
The Scottish Sports Council does not make separate estimates for this but uses figures on local authority expenditure on leisure and recreation collected by the Scottish Office. The figures, which are not available at a more disaggregated level, are as follows:
| Year | £000 |
|---|---|
| 1998-99 | (6)286,310 |
| 1997-98 | (7)294,612 |
| 1996-97 | 303,832 |
| 1995-96 | 307,048 |
| 1994-95 | 289,803 |
| 1993-94 | 282,346 |
(6) Estimate
(7) Provisional
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
New Housing Partnership
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the budget is for the New Housing Partnership scheme in 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02. [70309]
Mr. Macdonald: Following is the information requested:
| New Housing Partnerships selected for funding in May and October 1998 | New Housing Partnership bids currently under consideration | |
|---|---|---|
| 1998-99 | 35 | -- |
| 1999-2000 | 30 | 23 |
| 2000-01 | 20 | 95 |
| 2001-02 | 5 | 160 |
I will be making an announcement shortly about the selection of bids currently under consideration for funding.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the process is by which bids for funding for the New Housing Partnership scheme are scrutinised. [70312]
Mr. Macdonald:
Bids for funding are being assessed by the New Housing Partnership Advisory Group against the criteria set out in the Department's letters of invitation. The Group has sought clarification, from some local authorities, on aspects of their bids. The Group will shortly be making recommendations to me on the merits
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 642
of the bids, and I will make an announcement shortly. From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland who sits on the panel that scrutinises bids for the New Housing Partnership scheme; and how and for what reason they were chosen. [70313]
Mr. Macdonald:
The members of the New Housing Partnerships Advisory Group are:
The Group provides advice to Ministers on bids received from local authorities for New Housing Partnerships funding.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the criteria are that local authorities have to meet to be entitled to funding from the New Housing Partnership scheme. [70311]
Mr. Macdonald:
The criteria for New Housing Partnership funding have been set out in letters issued by the Scottish Office Development Department. A copy of the Department's letter of 24 August 1998, which invites bids for the period 1999-2000, has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
From 1 July 1999 this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what is the total level of council house debt, including capital debt, by local authority area in Scotland; [70310]
16 Feb 1999 : Column: 643
Mr. Macdonald:
Information on local authority housing debt is collected annually from local authorities. The most recent estimates available, as at 1 April 1998, are shown in the table.
Scottish Office
David Belfall (Chair)
John Breslin
Rod Merrall
Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
Albert Tait
Kenny Simpson
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
David Orr
Chartered Institute of Housing
John Perry
Alan Ferguson
Scottish Homes
Stuart Nichol
Chief Executive, Broomleigh Housing Association
Keith Exford.
(2) what are the expected levels of council house debt, including capital debt, by local authority area for 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01 and 2001-02. [70315]
| Authority | Debt (£) |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen City | 134,682,000 |
| Aberdeenshire | 150,821,000 |
| Angus | 34,655,914 |
| Argyll and Bute | 53,594,327 |
| Clackmannanshire | 26,589,900 |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | 44,629,236 |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 107,598,933 |
| Dundee City | 117,916,400 |
| East Ayrshire | 83,426,996 |
| East Dunbartonshire | 45,574,000 |
| East Lothian | 43,554,000 |
| East Renfrewshire | 25,643,300 |
| Edinburgh City | 283,591,341 |
| Falkirk | 90,976,000 |
| Fife | 208,240,991 |
| Glasgow City | 914,638,203 |
| Highland | 222,559,000 |
| Inverclyde | 97,559,900 |
| Midlothian | 25,138,104 |
| Moray | 50,066,031 |
| North Ayrshire | 86,772,000 |
| North Lanarkshire | 231,658,606 |
| Orkney Islands | 4,769,000 |
| Perth and Kinross | 47,759,926 |
| Renfrewshire | 143,943,035 |
| Scottish Borders | 69,226,695 |
| Shetland Islands | 60,157,961 |
| South Ayrshire | 60,397,134 |
| South Lanarkshire | 230,800,643 |
| Stirling | 45,625,903 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 92,236,590 |
| West Lothian | 69,886,114 |
| Scotland | 3,904,689,183 |
From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
Mrs. Laing:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the time scale is, by local authority area, for the repayment of council house debt; and by when he expects all council housing debt to be repaid. [70328]
Mr. Macdonald:
Information about the time scale for repayment of council housing debt is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
From 1 July this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
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