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World Bank (Social Principles)
Ms Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to ensure that the social principles drafted by the World bank will be adhered to by the IMF and World bank in any future financial crisis lending. [86988]
Ms Hewitt: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has consistently stressed the importance of preserving investment in the health, education and social programmes which are essential for growth and poverty reduction. The World bank are currently working with the IMF to translate the social principles into good practices in social policy, and this work is due to be completed by the Annual Meetings later this year. It will create an operational guide for the World bank and IMF which I hope will be drawn upon by the two institutions.
Ms Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on incorporating the social principles drafted by the World bank into macro- economic decision-making. [86987]
Ms Hewitt: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer has consistently stressed the importance of preserving investment in the health, education and social programmes which are essential for growth and poverty reduction. He therefore welcomed the endorsement given by the Development Committee at the Spring Meeting in April to the social principles which the World bank had drafted following his call for action in this area at the Annual Meetings last year.
As a matter of urgency, it was agreed that the World bank should report back to the Annual Meetings on policies and practices that could support national and international implementation of the social principles.
Individual Savings Accounts
Mr. Galbraith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the operation of ISAs; and if he will make a statement. [87420]
Ms Hewitt: The Government will keep ISAs under review and listen to the views of providers and consumers. A large number of providers are providing both CAT and non-CAT ISAs through a variety of channels and we have no plans to change ISA rules.
Special Advisers
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the people employed as paid
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special advisers in his Department since 1 May 1997, the dates of their employment and to which minister each was attached. [87455]
| Dates of employment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | From | To | Minister served |
| Ed Balls | 3 May 1997 | -- | Chancellor |
| Charlie Whelan | 3 May 1997 | 13 January 1999 | Chancellor |
| Ed Miliband | 3 May 1997 | 6 April 1999 | Chief Secretary |
| Ed Miliband | 10 May 1999 | -- | Chief Secretary |
| Andrew Maugham | 6 May 1997 | 27 July 1998 | Chief Secretary |
| Spencer Livermore | 4 August 1998 | -- | Chief Secretary |
| Ian Austin | 21 June 1999 | -- | Chancellor |
Insurance Companies (Regulation)
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to review the working procedures within his Department regarding the regulation of insurance companies. [87628]
Ms Hewitt: I have no plans to review working procedures regarding the regulation of insurance companies. The Transfer of Functions (Insurance) Order 1997 transferred Department of Trade and Industry responsibility for regulation of insurance business to the Treasury. The Contracting Out (Functions in Relation to Insurance) Order 1998 empowered the Treasury to authorise a third-party--the Financial Services Authority--to carry out most of these functions from 1 January 1999. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Financial Services and Markets Bill will vest this responsibility with the Financial Services Authority in its own right. In the meantime, the Treasury retains statutory and policy responsibility.
Employment Rate (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were employed in Shrewsbury and Atcham (a) on the last date for which figures are available and (b) in May 1997. [87796]
Ms Hewitt: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
| Year | Shrewsbury and Atcham (5) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 38.3 |
| 1997 | 39.0 |
(5) Local Authority District
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EU Tax Reform (Joint Working Group)
Mr. Hopkins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the organisations represented on the joint working group with business representatives set up by the Paymaster General to examine EU tax reform; which representatives were invited from the accountancy profession; and if he will make a statement. [87988]
Dawn Primarolo: The joint Government-CBI Group on EU tax issues is an informal working group whose main purpose is to allow the Government to get the views of business on European tax matters. At the first meeting of the Group in March, the CBI's team consisted of senior CBI officials and representatives of major companies.
Private Finance Initiative
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish a revised version of PFI Technical Note No. 1 on How to Account for PFI Transactions. [88733]
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Mr. Milburn:
I am today issuing revised Treasury guidance, approved by the Financial Reporting Advisory Board (FRAB), setting out the rules governing accounting for PFI transactions within Government.
I am placing a copy of the Revised Guidance in the Library.
Mr. Waterson:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to improve the fiscal position of people over retirement age. [87077]
Mr. Milburn:
The Government recognise that pensioners need fair and decent support. The average pensioner household will be £240 a year better off as a result of measures in the March 1998 and March 1999 Budgets. These measures include a fivefold increase in the winter allowance from £20 to £100, the introduction of a Minimum Tax Guarantee which will mean that no-one over 64 will pay income tax unless their income is over £110 a week, and the minimum income guarantee through Income Support which is set at £75 per week for single pensioners from April 1999.
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