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Russia and Brazil (Current Borrowings)

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if (a) Russia and (b) Brazil have fully met the terms and obligations associated with their current borrowings from (i) the IMF, (ii) the World Bank and(iii) other Government-funded financial institutions. [70299]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 10 February 1999]: Both Russia and Brazil have fulfilled all their financial obligations in servicing their current borrowings from all the institutions referred to. Failure to comply fully with loan conditionality has in both cases, however, led to the suspension or limiting of financing from some sources.

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the contribution of the United Kingdom to (a) Russia and (b) Brazil via (i) the IMF, (ii) the World Bank and (iii) other Government-funded financial institutions. [70300]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 10 February 1999]: The table details the outstanding loans disbursed to (a) Russia and (b) Brazil by the IMF, the World Bank and other multi-lateral institutions.

		£
	(a) Russia	(b) Brazil
International Monetary Fund	11.7 billion	2.9 billion
World Bank	2.2 billion	0.6 billion
Bank of International Settlements	n/a	2.57 billion
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development	(23)1.0 billion	n/a
Inter-American Development Bank	n/a	10.3 billion
European Investment Bank	n/a	38.2 million

(23) Loans and equity

The table uses exchange rates as of close of trading 11 February 1999.

25 Feb 1999 : Column: 424

The table uses exchange rates as of close of trading 11 February 1999.

The primary source of IMF resources is subscriptions (quotas) from member countries. The UK quota is equivalent to 5 per cent. of the total quotas. This subscription is not public expenditure, but constitutes part of the UK's foreign exchange reserves.

In the case of Russia and Brazil, the UK and other major shareholders also provided bilateral loans to the IMF, respectively through the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB) and the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB). The NAB and GAB are mechanisms that enable the Fund to borrow from selected members when supplementary resources are needed to deal with an impairment of the international monetary system, or an exceptional situation that poses a threat to the stability of the system. To date, the UK has lent the IMF £117,248,801 under the GAB for Russia, and £200,465,904 under the NAB for Brazil. These loans are not public expenditure, but constitute part of the UK's foreign exchange reserves.

The World Bank, the EBRD, and the IADB finance their loans principally from borrowings on the international capital markets. They also derive resources from the capital subscriptions of members, and from accumulated earnings (mainly from their loans). The UK shareholding at the World Bank is 4.5 per cent., at the EBRD 8.5 per cent., at the IADB 1.0 per cent. and 17.8 per cent. at the EIB (through the Loan Guarantee Reserve). A certain share of BIS moneys is underwritten by the UK treasury. This is not public expenditure, but we do hold contingent liability. Currently, we are underwriting £240,310,674.

BP

Mr. Opik: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many shares the Government hold in BP; and if he will make a statement. [69722]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 11 February 1999]: None.

Departmental Staff

Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to relocate staff in (a) his Department and (b) the agencies for which he is responsible to the regions of the United Kingdom with the highest levels of unemployment; and what plans he has further to decentralise the location of his Department and its agencies. [70457]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 15 February 1999]: There are currently no plans to move Departmental or agency staff to regions with the highest unemployment levels and no plans to decentralise.

Pensions

Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the average annual contribution made to personal pension plans by (a) standard rate and (b) higher rate taxpayers. [70695]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 15 February 1999]: The information is in the table.

25 Feb 1999 : Column: 425

	£
	Average contribution to personal pension schemes in 1996-97
Basic rate taxpayers	900
Higher rate taxpayers	4,200

Notes:

1. Estimates are based on the Survey of Personal Incomes for 1996-97 and other survey and administrative information.

2. Includes contributions to retirement annuity contracts, but excludes free-standing additional voluntary contributions, "minimum contributions" by DSS to appropriate personal pension schemes and contributions made by employers.

3. Covers contributions made by employees and the self-employed.

4. Includes basic rate tax repaid to scheme administrators in respect of contributions made by employees to personal pensions under net contribution arrangements.

5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100.

Cheque-cashing Companies

Mr. David Heath: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the activities of cheque-cashing companies in respect of the provisions of the Cheques Act 1992. [71657]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 16 February 1999]: The Treasury has from time to time received letters from MPs and members of the public on cheque cashing companies.

Mr. David Heath: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what regulatory mechanisms apply to the activities of cheque-cashing companies. [71658]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 16 February 1999]: Cheque-cashing companies are unregulated.

Unemployment (Cambridge)

Mr. Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many young people aged between 18 and 24 years were out of work and claiming benefit in the Cambridge travel-to-work area who had been unemployed in excess of six months, at (i) April 1997, (ii) April 1998 and (iii) October 1998. [72365]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 22 February 1999]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Andrew Lansley, dated 25 February 1999:

As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on those claiming benefit in the Cambridge travel-to-work area (TTWA).

The information you have requested is derived from the monthly claimant count of people claiming unemployment-related benefits (i.e. Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits). Essentially, all people who were claiming these benefits on the count day are counted.

The date you have requested for those aged 18-24 in the Cambridge TTWA is given below and are not adjusted to take account of seasonal factors.

Cambridge TTWA: Claimant count for over 6 months

	Age 18-24
April 1997	384
April 1998	216
October 1998	168

25 Feb 1999 : Column: 426

National Statistical Service

Mr. Kenneth Clarke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to establish the new independent national statistical service; and if he will make a statement on the degree and nature of the independence that is proposed. [72025]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 22 February 1999]: The Government produced a Green Paper "Statistics: A Matter of Trust" last year which provided options as to how best they might seek to enhance the integrity, both actual and perceived, of official statistics. They will be bringing forward their plans in this area as soon as they are finalised.

Citizens Advice Bureaux

Mr. Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to permit citizens advice bureaux to provide financial advice. [72363]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 22 February 1999]: Citizens Advice Bureaux already play an important role in advising and assisting consumers on financial matters. When the Financial Services and Markets Bill has been enacted, I hope that they will be able to work with the Financial Services Authority, which we propose should have a public awareness objective, to improve consumer education on financial services generally. However, the giving of personal financial advice is a regulated activity which requires, and will continue to require under the new bill, authorisation.

Fuel Duty

Dr. Marek: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the Treasury's environmental appraisal on the effects of the policy to increase fuel duty by six per cent. per annum in real terms. [72293]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 22 February 1999]: The Pre-Budget Report, published on 3 November 1998, included an environmental assessment of the Government's environmental tax measures to date. The road fuel duty escalator, over the period 1996 to 2002, is estimated to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by between 2 million and 5 million tonnes of carbon in 2010. It is also estimated that the 2010 urban road transport emissions of oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter will be reduced by 1 per cent. and 1.2 per cent. respectively.

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