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Community Psychiatric Nurses
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to review the classification of community psychiatric nurses as essential users of cars; [84577]
- (2) if he will publish the studies commissioned by him into the essential use of cars by community psychiatric nurses. [84578]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 18 May 1999]: The Chancellor has not commissioned any studies into the use of cars by community psychiatric nurses and he has no plans to do so. Community psychiatric nurses provided with small cars with low carbon dioxide emissions, in which they drive low business mileage, stand to benefit from the fundamental reform of company car tax to be implemented from April 2002.
Euro
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the euro will be adopted as the currency in French overseas territories. [84901]
Ms Hewitt: The euro is the currency of the French overseas Departments and of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and Mayotte. The euro has not been adopted as the currency of the French overseas territories.
UK Payments (EU)
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in what currency the UK's contribution to the EU is made. [84902]
Ms Hewitt: United Kingdom gross contributions to the EC Budget are made in pounds sterling.
Millennium Gift Aid
Mr. Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons (a) Jordan, (b) Syria, (c) Lebanon and (d) the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are excluded from the list of countries eligible for Millennium Gift Aid; and if he will make a statement. [84903]
Ms Hewitt:
The Millennium Gift Aid scheme (MGA) was introduced in 1998 as part of the Government's
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initiative to relieve the debt burden in developing countries. MGA provides tax relief for donations to UK charities for educational and anti-poverty projects in the world's poorest countries. The relief applies to the 80 countries that are eligible for lending either by the International Development Association (IDA), or jointly by the IDA and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, both organisations of the World Bank. Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are not on the World Bank list.
On 6 April 1999 the Chancellor announced that MGA is to be extended to cover donations to UK charities to help the Kosovan refugees. This is in response to the urgent humanitarian crisis in Kosovo and to assist charities with their emergency fund-raising appeals. There are no plans to add further to the causes that are eligible for MGA.
There is a range of tax reliefs for giving to charity, apart from MGA, which apply to all charitable causes. In addition, the Review of Charity Taxation has proposed extending the advantages of MGA to all charitable causes after 31 December 2000.
Ms Drown:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the Government's policy on reductions in debt service payments after a country has emerged from the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative; and if he will make a statement. [84961]
Ms Hewitt:
The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for International Development have called for an enhanced HIPC initiative which will provide debt relief faster, deeper and wider than is currently delivered. The UK has stressed the importance of early debt service reductions, and thereby of releasing funds for programmes that reduce poverty.
Ms Stuart:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) current and (b) deferred members there are in (A) the (i) police, (ii) fire service, (iii) principal Civil Service, (iv) National Health Service, (v) armed forces and (vi) local government pension schemes and (B) the teachers' superannuation scheme. [85271]
Mr. Milburn:
The administration of public service pension schemes is the responsibility of various other Government Departments or local authorities, not Her Majesty's Treasury. The latest information held centrally, which has been supplied by the responsible Departments, is as follows.
(28) From 1 July 1999 responsibility for police, fire, NHS, local government and teachers' pensions in Scotland will pass to the Scottish Executive.
(29) These schemes are administered by local authorities, which provide any data.
(30) Provisional figures.
(31) Not available centrally.
25 May 1999 : Column: 139
25 May 1999 : Column: 139
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the proposed new VAT exemption categories available to VAT-registered bodies where VAT is incurred and not recovered on importation, intra-EC acquisition, or production of goods following the judgment of the European Court against the Republic of Italy (Case C-45/95); and if he will make a statement. [85114]
Dawn Primarolo:
The proposed changes were explained in a technical note, issued on 21 April, which invited comments by 21 May 1999.
Mr. Maude:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in achieving the Government's target on electronic transactions with Government; and if he will make a statement. [85100]
Mr. Milburn:
Good progress is being made by Departments in achieving the overall target of undertaking 90 per cent. of Government low value transactions electronically by 2001. The volume of low value transactions undertaken through the Government Procurement Card continues to double each quarter and currently stands at 58,000 transactions worth £6.5 million.
The Minister for the Cabinet Office is responsible for the Information Age targets which were set out in the Modernising Government White Paper that 25 per cent. of dealings with the Government should be capable of being done by the public electronically by 2002, 50 per cent. by 2005, and 100 per cent. by 2008. My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office will be reporting progress shortly.
Mr. Horam:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Financial Services and Markets Bill is planned to relax existing rules on advertising for funding. [85276]
25 May 1999 : Column: 140
Ms Hewitt:
The Financial Services and Markets Bill will introduce an updated and improved regime for the regulation of financial promotions. I announced on 17 March 1999, Official Report, columns 661-62, the publication of a consultation paper. This includes consideration of ways to facilitate informal capital raising to assist small and medium sized firms gain access to investment funding. A number of responses have been received and are being considered.
Dr. Desmond Turner:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will discuss with the Director General of Fair Trading the operation of the rules of the London Stock Exchange as they relate to the publication of information affecting employees of listed companies. [85318]
Ms Hewitt:
We are in contact as the need arises with the Director General of Fair Trading on competition aspects of the rules of the London Stock Exchange. However, the rules of the Exchange do allow a company at its discretion to undertake confidential consultation with employee representatives before making a public announcement.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has held with the International Organisation of Securities Commissions on the relocation of its headquarters to the United Kingdom. [85126]
Ms Hewitt
[holding answer 24 May 1999]: The application procedure involved cities rather than Governments applying to host the IOSCO headquarters. The Corporation of London's bid was supported by the Prime Minister and by Treasury Ministers.
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