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Inland Revenue 35
Mrs. Organ: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations have been received concerning the introduction of Inland Revenue 35. [88415]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 29 June 1999]: There have been a substantial number of responses both to the Budget Day Press Release IR35 and the subsequent material which the Inland Revenue have been distributing to interested parties. The Government are currently considering the representations.
Ms Ward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress is being made on the implementation of Inland Revenue 35. [88222]
Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue is currently considering representations received in response to the proposals.
Duty Free
Mr. Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Information Sheet (June 1999) regarding excise duty and VAT arrangements following the withdrawal of duty free sales of goods to intra-Community travellers, what is the VAT liability on goods liable to UK VAT in the domestic market purchased on a flight from London to New York which is subsequently diverted to Paris (a) when the passengers are permitted to disembark at Paris to join a new flight to New York and (b) when passengers remain on the same aircraft until it is able to continue to New York. [88918]
Dawn Primarolo: The withdrawal of duty free sales of goods with effect from 1 July only affects travellers on intra-Community journeys. Passengers travelling outside the EU will continue to be able to purchase duty free goods. Diversion of an international flight via another Community airport would not affect the VAT relief of sales to passengers on that flight. In such circumstances passengers, and any duty free goods that they had purchased, would be subject to the usual arrangements whereby they would remain within a Customs controlled area pending their onward flight.
Community Budget
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the Statement on the 1999 Community Budget. [89459]
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 229
Ms Hewitt:
I have today laid before Parliament the Statement on the 1999 Community Budget, entitled "European Community Finances". This White Paper is the nineteenth in the series. As in the past, it covers annual budgetary matters and includes details of recent developments in European Community financial management and in countering fraud against the Community Budget. It also describes the Community Budget for 1999 as adopted by the European Parliament, and the United Kingdom's gross and net contributions to the Community Budget between 1996 and 1999.
I have placed copies of the White Paper in both Libraries of the House.
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 230
Mr. O'Hara:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the most recent figures showing how many people hold current bank accounts in each of the regions covered by the new regional development agencies in the age ranges (i) 0 to 8, (ii) 18 to 24, (iii) 25 to 50, (iv) 50 to 65, (v) 65 to 85 and (vi) 85 years and over. [88650]
Angela Eagle:
I have been asked to reply.
The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.
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| Regional Development Agency | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age of individual | North East | North West and Merseyside | Yorkshire and aHumber | East Midlands | West Midlands | Eastern Region | London | South East | South West |
| 18-24 | 190 | 420 | 270 | 300 | 320 | 370 | 410 | 530 | 260 |
| 25-49 | 840 | 1,970 | 1,410 | 1,270 | 1,490 | 1,760 | 2,330 | 2,400 | 1,470 |
| 50-64 | 420 | 1,030 | 700 | 710 | 770 | 920 | 860 | 1,300 | 850 |
| 65+ | 260 | 690 | 490 | 370 | 430 | 620 | 650 | 850 | 670 |
Notes:
1. Data are not provided for the under 18 age group as information on children holding current bank accounts is not available. Samples sizes for the highest age group are also too small to support reliable estimates of the statistics in question. Other age ranges provided in the tables do not exactly match those requested as these had missing ranges and overlapping boundaries. Therefore, age ranges which are as close as possible to those requested have been used.
2. The estimates are based on sample counts that have been adjusted for non-response using multi-purpose grossing factors that control for region, Council Tax Band and a number of demographic variables. Estimates are subject to sampling error and to variability in non-response.
3. All figures are provided in thousands and have been rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
Source:
1997-98 Family Resources Survey (Great Britain)
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 229
Overpaid Tax
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to ensure that older people are aware of their right to claim back overpaid tax. [89146]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government are considering running a Taxback campaign in the year 2000. The aim of this would be to stimulate free media publicity and to encourage people, including the elderly, who had overpaid tax on their bank and building society interest to claim it back.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his Department's estimate of the total amount of overpaid tax by older people on their income from savings. [89147]
Dawn Primarolo: No information on which to base an estimate is available from Inland Revenue's records. Tax offices will generally be aware of cases where tax has been overpaid only when tax returns are sent in, or when claims are made for the repayment of tax deducted at source.
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD
Meat Hygiene Service
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will establish an expert multi-disciplinary audit of the Meat Hygiene Service independent of the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group. [88286]
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 230
Mr. Rooker:
The work of the Meat Hygiene Service is scrutinised by NAO, the Audit Consultancy and Management Services Division of MAFF, operational audits by the State Veterinary Service, the Intervention Board as well as by auditors of the Joint Food Standards and Safety Group.
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans his Department has to ensure that the performance of the Meat Hygiene Service is independently monitored. [88279]
Mr. Rooker:
The Meat Hygiene Service's performance targets are set by the Minister and monitored independently by the Audit Consultancy and Management Services Division of MAFF. Information on the Meat Hygiene Service's performance in key areas is made widely available in the monthly publications "Meat Hygiene Enforcement Report" and "BSE Enforcement Bulletin".
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the current arrangements for auditing the performance of the Meat Hygiene Service. [88396]
Mr. Rooker:
Audits of the operational performance of the Meat Hygiene Service are carried out by Veterinary Meat Hygiene Advisors of the Joint Food Standards and Safety Group. The auditors visit a selection of licensed premises to assess MHS compliance with the procedures
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 231
and practices set out in the MHS Operations Manual and a report is published annually. This year the audit manual has been revised and changes made to report formats and the categorisation of findings.
The annual performance targets of the MHS are monitored independently by the Audit Consultancy and Management services Division of MAFF. I am fully satisfied with these arrangements.
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria are used by veterinary officers of the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group during their routine audits of Meat Hygiene Service performance to assess the competence and performance of official veterinary surgeons. [88283]
Mr. Rooker:
The audit staff of the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group assess the performance of official veterinary surgeons of the MHS against the procedures contained in the MHS Operations Manual.
Mr. Paterson:
To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the definition of the term critical control point used in the hazard analysis and critical control points system; and how many critical control points there should be in (a) a typical slaughterhouse, (b) a red meat cutting plant and (c) a poultry processing plant operation; and at what stages in each operation. [88289]
Mr. Rooker:
A critical control point is a step at which control can be applied and is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level.
Every food operation is unique and it is for each operator to apply the hazard analysis and critical control point system and determine critical control points appropriate to the business. The Government/Industry Working Group on Meat Hygiene's Forward Programmes provide some generic examples of critical control points relevant to the red and white meat industry.
30 Jun 1999 : Column: 232
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