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Insurance Premium Tax
Mr. Maclean: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of insurance policies which will be taxed at the new rate of insurance premium tax announced in his 1999 Budget. [76453]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 15 March 1999]: No estimate is available of the number of policies affected.
714 Certificates
Mr. Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of current holders of a 714 certificate who will not be eligible to hold a tax certificate under the Construction Industry scheme. [74157]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 3 March 1999]: We believe that around 200,000 subcontractors currently holding 714 certificates are unlikely to qualify for gross payment certificates under the Construction Industry Scheme as a result of the new turnover test.
Pensions (Taxation)
Mr. Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of the Ministers in his Department has responsibility for policy towards the taxation regime for pensions. [75004]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 8 March 1999]: Decisions on taxation are taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Cyprus
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the financial stability of the Republic of Cyprus following that country's application for membership of the European Union. [76054]
Ms Hewitt: The Government keep the economic and financial position of all the applicants to the EU, including the Republic of Cyprus, under constant review.
European Central Bank
Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with his European partners on increasing the democratic accountability of the European Central Bank. [74878]
Ms Hewitt: Article 109b(3) of the Maastricht Treaty contains several provisions designed to balance the necessary independence of the European Central Bank with the need for democratic accountability.
The Government believe that accountability and transparency in policy/making will be key to ensuring that the European Central Bank gains the trust of the European public and financial markets. Ultimately, it will help to provide the credibility needed to deliver a more effective monetary policy.
Economic and Monetary Union
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if (a) the European central bank and (b) other Community bodies can prevent the accession of a member state on
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EMU-related grounds where that prospective member state has declined to negotiate an opt-out from full economic and monetary union acquis. [74441]
Ms Hewitt:
According to Article O of the Treaty on European Union, applications for membership of the Union are considered by the Council of Ministers, after consulting the Commission, and after receiving the assent of the European Parliament. The conditions of admission are then for agreement between Member States and the applicant state.
Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what criteria he will use to decide the appropriate exchange rate for the pound against the euro for the United Kingdom's entry into the monetary union; and what is his strategy for (a) achieving and (b) maintaining that rate. [74877]
Ms Hewitt:
The rate at which sterling would enter the single currency would need to be consistent with economic fundamentals in the UK and compatible with sustainable convergence between the UK and the euro-area. This was the basis for the decision on the conversion rates of currencies which joined in the first wave.
The Government's policy is for a stable and competitive exchange-rate over the medium term. The Government's fiscal and monetary policy framework will help to deliver the macroeconomic stability needed for a stable exchange rate.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the Options on the Stability Programme of the UK, agreed in the ECOFIN Council of 8 February. [75052]
Ms Hewitt:
A copy of the ECOFIN opinion on the 1998 UK Convergence Programme has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Mr. Quinn:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to bring forward a proposal under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to amend the Trustee Investments Act 1961. [74962]
Ms Hewitt:
The Government accept in principle the case for reform of the Trustee Investments Act 1961. But any reform must provide a complete and lasting solution, which is not likely to be achieved without primary legislation. The Government are committed to reform in a number of areas and already have a full programme of legislation implementing their key policy priorities. The Government will keep the position under review and seek to make progress at the earliest opportunity.
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Mr. Swayne:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of income taxpayers in Scotland. [75508]
Dawn Primarolo:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 5 March 1999, Official Report, column 966.
Mr. Gibb:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current position of the re-negotiations of the US/UK double tax treaty. [76603]
Dawn Primarolo:
Talks at official level were held in Washington in January 1999. It was agreed that a further round of talks would be held in May.
Mr. Gorrie:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is putting into effect to reduce the smuggling of alcohol and tobacco into the UK. [76621]
Dawn Primarolo:
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) on 10 February 1999, Official Report, column 256-58.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many pensioners living in the Greater London area have annual incomes in excess of (a) £10,000, (b) £15,000, (c) £20,000 and (d) £25,000. [75719]
Ms Hewitt:
The latest Survey of Personal Incomes indicates that there were about 200,000 pensioners living in the Greater London area in 1996-97 with annual incomes in excess of £10,000 per annum. Of these, some 110,000 had annual incomes about £15,000, about 65,000 had incomes above £20,000 and 40,000 had incomes above £25,000.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the balance of (a) visible and (b) invisible trade between the euro zone member countries by the rest of EU for each of the last 10 years. [74129]
Ms Hewitt:
Data on trade in goods within the EU are available in the publication "External and Intra-European Union Trade" published by Eurostat. Data on trade in services in the EU are available in the Eurostat publication, "International Trade In Services". Both of these publications are available in the House of Commons Library.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the costs of upgrading Government computer systems to facilitate the National Changeover Plan for United Kingdom participation in the single currency. [73600]
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Ms Hewitt:
The overall cost of a UK changeover would depend on the approach taken to the changeover. By planning ahead, we can keep costs to the whole economy to a minimum.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the cost of expanding the staff of the European Commission as proposed in the Commission's internal policy spending review; what grades of post are proposed; and if he will make a statement on (a) their purpose and (b) his Department's policy on the proposals. [72530]
Ms Hewitt:
I would expect any proposals for additional staff for the European Commission to be made in the usual way as part of the Commission's preliminary draft budget for 2000, or as a supplementary amending budget for 1999. No such proposals have been made. In assessing the merits of any proposals for new staff the Government will consider, inter alia, the priority of the tasks new staff are intended to fulfil, the extent to which redeployment has or could be used to meet additional needs, and the availability of additional resources.
Miss McIntosh:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the benefits of applying a reduced rate of VAT for services with high labour intensity. [74401]
Dawn Primarolo:
We understand that the Commission will shortly be bringing forward proposals on experimental reduced rates of VAT on labour-intensive services. We shall consider them when they have been received.
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