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Individual Savings Accounts
Mr. Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firms have registered to become providers of (i) maxi ISAs, (ii) mini ISAs and (iii) the life insurance element of the proposed ISA. [R] [74044]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 2 March 1999]: Up to 26 February, a total of 356 firms have received approval. 107 had registered to offer only the cash or life insurance components. These firms can offer only mini ISAs. The remaining 249 firms had registered to offer at least the stocks and shares component. These firms can offer both maxi and mini ISAs. 66 firms have registered to offer the insurance component of the ISA.
Vehicle Excise Duty
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which other EU States charge vehicle excise duty; and at what level. [74507]
Ms Hewitt: All EU States levy a form of vehicle excise duty. The level charged can vary according to one or more factors, including engine capacity, weight, fuel type and the district in which the vehicle is registered.
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which other EU states charge different rates of vehicle excise duty on cars of different engine capacities. [74508]
Ms Hewitt: As of 1997, engine capacity was a factor in determining the level of vehicle excise duty payable for passengers cars in the following EU countries:
- Belgium
- Germany
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- Spain
- Greece
- Ireland
- Luxembourg, and
- Portugal.
Environmental Objectives
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the work his Department has carried out to examine the scope for using the tax system to deliver environmental objectives; and if he will make a statement. [75339]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's commitment to exploring the scope for using economic instruments to secure environmental objectives was set out in the Statement of Intent on Environmental Taxation, published in July 1997.
The progress made in using the tax system to deliver environmental objectives was set out in the 1999 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report, and in previous Pre-Budget Reports and Financial Statement and Budget Reports.
Ethical and Social Investment
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to encourage ethical and social investment schemes; and if he will make a statement. [75343]
Ms Hewitt: The Government's strategy is to increase the public's awareness of financial services while at the same time encouraging the financial service providers to offer products that are clearly understood. This will help consumers to choose products that are consistent with their social and ethical beliefs.
Motor Fuels (Taxation)
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received by his Department from taxation on motor fuels in 1998. [75720]
Ms Hewitt: The revenue received from excise duty on all motor fuels in 1998 was £20.8 billion. The estimate amount of VAT received from the sale of motor fuels was £2.1 billion.
Gambling Machines
Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the tax revenue raised by his Department during 1998 from gambling on machines in the United Kingdom. [76052]
Mrs. Roche: The receipts from excise duty on amusement machine licences in 1998 were £142.1 million. This figure was published by HM Customs and Excise in their "Receipts for Betting, Gaming and Lottery Duties Bulletin: January 1999", published on 16 February 1999.
Social Landlords
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses he has received to his consultation paper, "Restriction of VAT Grouping to Fully Taxable Corporate Bodies", from registered social landlords; and
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what estimate he has made of additional costs for (a) registered social landlords and (b) Government-funded housing programmes and housing benefit expenditure if the proposals are implemented in their present form. [76126]
Ms Hewitt:
The Chancellor made clear in his Budget statement on 9 March that the proposal to restrict the VAT grouping facility to fully taxable companies would not be implemented.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relief of the debt of developing countries. [73839]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 10 March 1999]: Last month the Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the IMF/World Bank pressing for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative to provide faster, deeper and wider debt relief. The Chancellor also announced a target which would involve committing $50 billion of debt relief to the world's poorest countries by the end of 2000.
Mr. Maclean:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the salary of the President of the European Central Bank. [76285]
Ms Hewitt:
In accordance with Article 11.3 of Protocol No. 3 to the EC Treaty (Statute of the ESCB and ECB), the terms and conditions of employment of the members of the Executive Board, in particular their salaries, pensions and other social security benefits are the subject of contracts with the ECB and are fixed by the Governing Council on a proposal from a Committee comprising three members appointed by the Governing Council and three members appointed by the Council of Ministers.
Mr. Evans:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) new jobs created and (b) jobs lost in Lancashire during the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [76356]
Ms Hewitt:
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. Nigel Evans, dated 17 March 1999:
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the projects in the United Kingdom which
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have received loans from the (i) European Investment Bank and (ii) European Investment Fund, stating (a) the name of the project, (b) the sum loaned in pounds sterling, (c) the terms of re-payment and (d) significant other loans from (1) private and (2) public resources made for such projects. [76772]
Ms Hewitt:
The European Investment Bank signed the following loans for projects in the UK in 1998:
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on jobs in Lancashire.
The type of statistics you request are derived from the ONS Annual Employment Survey (AES). The latest results are for September 1997, which can be compared with those at September 1996.
The number of Employee Jobs in Lancashire at September 1997 was 521,500, a net fall of 3,100 since September 1996. It is not possible to differentiate between the number of jobs created and lost over this time.
| Project | Amount (£) |
|---|---|
| Individual loans | |
| Development of Elgin and Franklin gas and condensate fields in North Sea | 59.9 |
| Texaco North Sea UK Co. | |
| Power transmission and distribution grids | 150 |
| Scottish Power plc | |
| London Underground electricity systems | 123 |
| Seeboard Powerlink | |
| Channel Tunnel Rail Link | 200 |
| Railtrack Group plc | |
| Railway rolling stock | 110 |
| Porterbrook Leasing Company Ltd. | |
| Road construction and upgrading | 81.5 |
| Birmingham City Council | |
| Construction of A5/A55 trunk road | 56 |
| UK Highways A55 Ltd. | |
| Passenger facilities at Edinburgh, Heathrow and Gatwick airports | 85 |
| BAA plc | |
| Freight handling centre at Heathrow airport | 20 |
| British Airways plc | |
| Extension of mobile telephone network | 200 |
| Mercury Personal Communications--One 2 One | |
| Water supply and wastewater infrastructure | 125 |
| Thames Water Utilities Ltd. | |
| Water supply and wastewater infrastructure | 75 |
| Northumbrian Water Ltd. | |
| Construction and refurbishment of social housing and vocational training premises in urban regeneration areas | 44 |
| The Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. | |
| Establishment of five industrial gas production facilities | 88.3 |
| Air Products and Chemicals Inc. | |
| Production and distribution of industrial gases in Margam, Wales | 19 |
| BOC Ltd. | |
| Development of new vehicle and improvements to paint shops and engineering centre | 50 |
| Rover Group Ltd. | |
| Aircraft design and production | 30.0 |
| Short Brothers Ltd. | |
| Schools construction | 37.0 |
| Falkirk Council | |
| Global loans for financing small and medium-sized enterprises | |
| Barclays Bank | 300 |
| Midland Bank | 100 |
| Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank | 50 |
| Lloyds Bank | 50 |
| ABN AMRO Causeway Mezzanine Partnership LP | 15.7 |
| Midland Bank Enterprise Funds | 7.1 |
| Total | 2,076.5 |
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| Operation | Party guaranteed | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Mezzanine Loan Fund | Syndicate, arranger NatWest | 10 |
| Barclays Bank | Barclays Bank | 34.8 |
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| Fund | Amount |
| Prelude Trust plc | 2 |
| MTI Three B. Ltd. Partnership | 2 |
| Alta Berkeley VCV | 2.1 |
| Kennet Ltd. Partnership | 3 |
I am unable to provide details of the terms of EIF operations or information on other contributory sources of finance as this is commercially sensitive.
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