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Alcohol and Tobacco Smuggling
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to amend the Beer Orders as a result of the report of the Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review. [85105]
Dawn Primarolo: Amending the Beer Orders is not a straightforward matter. Customs are still considering the costs and benefits and will be reporting their conclusions to me in due course.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what consultations he has had with the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions about the effects on traffic and road safety of cross-channel smuggling and section 1.5.3 of the report of the Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review; [85102]
- (2) what assessment he has made of section 1.5.3 of the report of the Alcohol and Tobacco Fraud Review and the effects on traffic and road safety of cross-channel smuggling. [85103]
Dawn Primarolo: Customs work closely with the Traffic Commissioners, the Police and other agencies who tackle a range of enforcement issues through their joint exercises. The issues raised by section 1.5.3 of the report are among those addressed by such exercises.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the methodology used by Her Majesty's Customs and Excise for estimating the total volume of fraud and smuggling of alcohol and tobacco products. [85104]
Dawn Primarolo: HM Customs and Excise estimates of alcohol and tobacco smuggling by cross-channel and air passengers are based on data from Customs' own surveys of international passengers. The methodologies are detailed in a technical report placed by HM Customs and Excise in the House of Commons Library on 19 November 1998.
Republic of Ireland GDP
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the per capita gross domestic product in the Republic of Ireland as a percentage of the EU average, for the most recent year available. [84956]
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. David Heathcoat-Amory, dated 24 May 1999:
24 May 1999 : Column: 60
Ms Harman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to make available replacement income through working families tax credit or benefit to persons normally in receipt of working families tax credit who take unpaid parental leave under the provision of the Employment Relations Bill. [83610]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 May 1999]: There are currently no plans to provide replacement income through the Working Families Tax Credit for families where a person takes up their right to unpaid parental leave. But we continue to consider whether help should be given to people taking unpaid parental leave and how such help might be delivered.
Ms Harman:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how families (a) in receipt of and (b) not in receipt of the working families tax credit will make up for wages lost due to unpaid parental leave being taken under the provisions of the Employment Relations Bill. [83611]
Dawn Primarolo
[holding answer 10 May 1999]: Families may make up for wages lost due to unpaid parental leave in a variety of ways independent of whether they are in receipt of the working families tax credit. Consequently it would not be possible to make the assessment that is envisaged.
As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question asking about the per capita gross domestic product of the Republic of Ireland.
The latest figures published by Eurostat (the Statistical Office of the European Community) are the preliminary results for 1997. These show the Republic of Ireland with a per capita gross domestic product of 102 per cent of the EU average. These estimates are subject to revision and definitive results will be published later this year.
Legal Aid
Mr. Beith: To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the total annual expenditure on legal aid in each of the last five years and the annual real terms change; what is the expected total annual expenditure on legal aid in each of the next three years and the expected real terms change; and if he will make a statement. [84750]
Mr. Vaz: Net expenditure on legal aid in each of the last five years was as follows:
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 1,299 |
| 1995-96 | 1,391 |
| 1996-97 | 1,476 |
| 1997-98 | 1,526 |
| 1998-99(11) | 1,600 |
(11) Estimated
The annual upward percentage change, in real terms, was as follows:
| Per cent. | |
|---|---|
| 1994-95 | 5.5 |
| 1995-96 | 4.5 |
| 1996-97 | 3.5 |
| 1997-98 | 0.7 |
| 1998-99(12) | 3.3 |
(12) Estimated
24 May 1999 : Column: 61
The measures contained in the Access to Justice Bill will ensure that available funds are targeted on priority cases. Conditional fees will increase access to justice for everyone. This will release legal aid moneys which otherwise would be expended on cases that will now go forward under conditional fee agreements, to support cases of greater priority, for example, cases which should in the public interest be supported.
24 May 1999 : Column: 62
Jacqui Smith:
To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the consultation paper setting out the proposals for the community legal service will be published. [85442]
Mr. Vaz:
Copies of the Consultation Paper will be placed later today--Monday 24 May--in the Libraries of both Houses. It will also be available on the Lord Chancellor's Department website at www.open.gov.uk/lcd.