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Race Relations Forum
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings the Race Relations Forum has held since its formation; what priorities and targets the Forum has adopted; what representations the
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Forum has made to which departments of Government; what changes have been made to the membership of the Forum; what procedures are in place for the appointment of new members of the Forum; and what measures the Forum has taken to secure representations from the Irish community. [89904]
Mr. Straw:
The Forum has met four times: on 23 June, 14 October 1998, 9 March and 28-29 June 1999. The Forum has discussed race issues in the Home Office and its services with me and the Permanent Secretary; in the armed forces with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence; and with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in his areas of responsibility. It also had a presentation from two of the Advisers to the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry and discussed how the Report's recommendations might be implemented. At its last meeting, it considered the development of a race equality strategy across government.
There have been three changes in membership. Pauline Schofield, Project Co-ordinator of the Birmingham Irish Community Forum, has replaced Gobnait Ni Chrualaoi, who resigned as the representative of the Irish community. Sukhvinder Kaur Stubbs, Chief Executive of the Runnymede Trust and a Member of the Department for Education and Employment Advisory Group on Raising Awareness of Ethnic Minority Pupils, and Gloria Mills, Director of Equal Opportunities at UNISON, have joined the Forum. Appointments are made on the basis of recommendations from a selection panel comprising the Head of the Race Equality Unit, my Race Relations Adviser and an independent, academic member.
Mr. Harvey:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress he has made in reviewing the future arrangements for the Family Court Welfare Officer Service; what plans he has to amalgamate their Service with that of the guardians ad litem; when such changes will be made; and if he will make a statement. [90077]
Mr. Vaz:
I have been asked to reply.
Ministers and officials have been considering the key issues arising from last year's inter-departmental consultation paper on the future organisation of court welfare services. Discussions are proceeding and a decision is expected shortly.
Single-earner Couples
Mr. Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reintroduce the option of joint tax assessment for married couples, with particular reference to single-earner couples. [89895]
Dawn Primarolo:
None. The Government believe that the measures announced in the Chancellor's Budgets--such as the 10p starting rate of tax, National Insurance Contributions reform, the introduction of the children's tax credit--provide a better deal for people in work and for families.
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Sir Teddy Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will initiate inquiries into the delays involved in issuing the CIS5 and CIS6 certificates to industrial and commercial firms; and if he will take steps to ensure that the relevant certificate will be issued to Messrs EK Mechanical Services of 97 West Road, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, by the Inland Revenue before 1 August. [90184]
Dawn Primarolo:
The Inland Revenue is taking all possible steps to issue CIS5 and CIS6 certificates as rapidly as possible to all applicants who qualify for them. The majority of those applicants have already been issued with the relevant certificate. The balance will be issued as soon as possible, bearing in mind that the new scheme begins on 1 August.
It would not be proper to disclose publicly whether an individual taxpayer has received or will receive a certificate, since that would involve disclosure of his or her personal tax affairs. I will write to the hon. Member specifically on his constituent.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to improve joint working between his departments. [90735]
Dawn Primarolo:
A number of Government departments--not only ones reporting to the Chancellor of the Exchequer--will be working on a pilot project to test different ways in which Government departments can work together more closely. The focus for this pilot will be the fashion industry in London. The aim of the pilot is to improve services to business through joint working (eg combined visits and trader education) to help traders understand what they need to do to meet legislative requirements. The pilot will also be looking to identify ways of raising compliance and reducing fraud and creating a level playing field for business so that legitimate business can thrive.
Ms Lawrence:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the loss of revenue from cross-border shopping and smuggling of road fuels, petrol and diesel from the Republic of Ireland into Northern Ireland. [90736]
Ms Hewitt:
Customs and Excise has provisionally assessed the combined loss from cross-border shopping and smuggling to be of the order of £100 million per annum.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the United Kingdom's position as regards the responsibility of the private sector in the response to international financial crises. [87881]
Ms Hewitt:
We are working with our G7 partners to shape expectations so that private-sector creditors know that they will be expected to bear the consequences of the risks they take. There are several ways in which this can be achieved. First, there needs to be a greater use of
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market-based tools to involve the private sector in forestalling and managing crises, for example through a broader use of collective action clauses in sovereign debt contracts. Second, efforts should be made to ensure there is better communication and co-operation between emerging market countries and their creditors. Third, the G7 countries have agreed that a broad framework for involving the private sector in crisis resolution should be drawn up, which sets out in advance principles, considerations and a broad range of tools.
Mr. Kidney:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the reassessment of the objectives of IMF policy in responding to financial crises. [87880]
Ms Hewitt:
At last week's summit in Cologne, G7 leaders announced a six-point plan for strengthening the international financial system. This included measures to increase the effectiveness of the IMF and the other international financial institutions; proposals to promote transparency and best practice, with the IMF monitoring compliance with new codes and standards; a new framework for involving the private sector in crisis prevention and management; steps to strengthen financial regulation in industrialized countries, and macroeconomic policies and financial systems in emerging markets where the IMF will work with the World Bank in providing advice and assistance; and promoting social policies to protect the poor and most vulnerable to ensure that they are better protected from the burden of adjustment at times of crisis.
Taken together these recommendations represent a significant strengthening of the international financial system which will help reduce the risk of financial crises and make it easier for the international financial community, especially the IMF, to manage future crises effectively. We are working closely with the IMF to see that these initiatives and reforms are implemented successfully.
Dr. Kumar:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will estimate the effect on the balance of payments of the impact which the climate change levy will have on the chemical and steel industries in the 10 years after its introduction; [88104]
(3) what assessment he has made of the effect the introduction of the climate change levy will have on inward investment in each sector of industry; and if he will make a statement; [88113]
(4) what assessment he has made of the effect of the climate change levy on energy-intensive industry on (a) direct and (b) indirect employment in that industry over the next five years; and if he will make a statement; [88010]
(5) what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of the climate change levy on global carbon dioxide emissions caused by industry relocating to countries with less stringent environmental legislation; and if he will make a statement; [88064]
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(6) what assessment he has made of the scope for other European Union countries to introduce the climate change levy at rates which are low but consistent with them achieving their Kyoto commitment; and if he will make a statement; [88114]
(7) on what basis the calculation of the revenue generated from the introduction of climate change levy was made; and if he will make a statement; [88199]
(8) if he will publish his targets in terms of income from national insurance contributions and allowances for energy efficiency agreements on an industry by industry basis; and if he will make a statement; [88225]
(9) what estimate he has made of the net financial impact on the Government following the introduction of the climate change levy, in terms of the reduction of national insurance contributions for (a) central Government employees and (b) local government and public services employees; and if he will make a statement; [88322]
(10) what assessment he has made of the advantages of basing the climate change levy on the amount of carbon dioxide released; and if he will make a statement; [88387]
(11) if he will assess the (a) benefits and (b) disadvantages of applying the climate change levy to domestic consumers; and if he will make a statement. [88323]
Ms Hewitt:
The climate change levy is estimated to save around 1.5 million tonnes of carbon a year by 2010, thereby making a very significant contribution to meeting the Government's legally-binding target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions set under the Kyoto Protocol, and its domestic goal of a 20 per cent. cut in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010.
The climate change levy will entail no increase in the overall burden of tax on business as the revenue will be fully recycled via a 0.5 percentage point cut in employer National Insurance Contributions. Business will also benefit from an additional £50m for schemes aimed at promoting energy efficiency and support for renewable sources of energy, like solar and wind power.
Following Lord Marshall's recommendations, and the Government's Statement of Intent on Environmental Taxation, the Government recognise the need for special consideration to be given to energy intensive industries given their energy usage and exposure to international competition. Consequently, significantly lower rates of tax will be set for those energy intensive sectors that agree targets for improving their energy efficiency. A number of sectors including the aluminium, iron and steel, and chemicals sectors are currently involved in those negotiations. The net impact of the climate change levy and the associated reduction in National Insurance contributions on individual sectors will depend on the rates at which the levy is set. The final rates of the levy will not be set until Finance Bill 2000.
The Government are keen to work with business on the detailed design and administration issues relating to the levy. HM Customs and Excise have just completed a further round of consultation on these issues and the Government are assessing these responses alongside other representations in deciding how to design the levy to maximise the environmental benefits whilst safeguarding competitiveness.
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(2) what action he proposes to take to ensure that manufacturing industry remains competitive after the introduction of the climate change levy; and if he will make a statement; [88106]
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