House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 19 Jul 1999 (pt 22)

Air Passenger Duty

Ms Roseanna Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of air passenger duty raised by (a) region and nation and (b) airport since its introduction; and if he will make a statement. [91306]

Mrs. Roche: Estimated figures for the breakdown of air passenger duty by nation are shown in the table:

Air passenger duty receipts £ million

Nation 1994-95 1995-96 1995-97 1997-98 1998-99

England 76.6 311.8 324.3 449.9 763.8

Scotland 5.6 23.0 23.4 32.8 54.6

Wales 0.7 2.7 2.5 3.5 6.2

Northern Ireland 1.4 5.6 5.6 7.1 12.1

Total 84.3 343.0 355.8 493.4 836.6

Nation	1994-95	1995-96	1995-97	1997-98	1998-99
England	76.6	311.8	324.3	449.9	763.8
Scotland	5.6	23.0	23.4	32.8	54.6
Wales	0.7	2.7	2.5	3.5	6.2
Northern Ireland	1.4	5.6	5.6	7.1	12.1

Total	84.3	343.0	355.8	493.4	836.6

Notes:

1. National breakdowns are based on location of airport

2. Figures are independently rounded and may not sum to total shown

Breakdowns for each region and airport could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer the letter from the right hon. Member for Wells to the Chief Secretary, sent on 27 April, about the reduction in the European Budget Rebate. [91901]

Mr. Milburn: No such letter has ever been received.

Compensation

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 5 July 1999, Official Report, column 359, on compensation, how much compensation has been paid to customers in respect of inconvenience they have suffered as a result of NIRS2 delays. [91185]

Mr. Timms [holding answer 13 July 1999]: I have been asked to reply.

By 30 June 1999, the Benefits Agency has paid £1,802,090 compensation to customers in respect of inconvenience they have suffered as a result of NIRS2 delays.

The total compensation payments will not be known until the National Insurance Contributions Office (NICO) and the Benefits Agency (BA) have fully recovered backlogs.

19 Jul 1999 : Column: 451

WALES

Statutory Instruments

Dr. Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of statutory instruments introduced by his Department into Parliament in (a) 1998, (b) 1992, (c) 1985 and (d) 1973 had the European Union as their legislative source. [89170]

Mr. Michael: The need to use different record sources for different periods has meant that some figures include local statutory instruments while others include only general instruments. Also we have only been able to identify instruments complying with EU obligations as those made under the European Communities Act 1972. Subject to these limitations, the following information is offered.

1998--292 SIs (includes local SIs--approximately 70)--15 cite European Communities Act 1972, s2(2), as enabling legislation.

1992--382 SIs (includes local SIs but no figures readily available for number of local SIs--2 cite European Communities Act 1972, s2(2), as enabling legislation.

1985--135 SIs (excludes local SIs)--3 cite European Communities Act 1972, s2(2), as enabling legislation.

1973--85 SIs (excludes local SIs)--8 cite European Communities Act 1972, s2(2), as enabling legislation.

Note:

These figures are for all SIs made by the Secretary of State for Wales, whether individually or in conjunction with an English Minister.

Secretary of State's Office

Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will estimate the running costs of the Secretary of State's Office for 1999-2000. [89856]

Mr. Michael: I have made budgetary provision of £2 million.

Further Education Colleges

Mr. Barry Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had on proposals for reform of the financial and organisational structures of further education colleges. [89853]

Mr. Hain: This is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91061]

Mr. Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 April 1999, Official Report, column 336.

Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list for (a) his Department and (b) associated

19 Jul 1999 : Column: 452

bodies listed in the National Asset Register, how many vehicles are currently (i) owned and (ii) leased; if he will indicate their (A) fuel types and (B) engine cubic capacities; and how many of the vehicles due for replacement by (a) his Department and (b) associated bodies listed in the National Asset Register will be replaced in (i) 1999-2000, (ii) 2000-01 and (iii) 2001-02 and will be replaced by vehicles using (1) petrol, (2) diesel, (3) natural gas, (4) electric batteries and (5) other; and how much his Department expects to spend in each year on vehicle replacements. [90797]

Mr. Michael: Vehicles used by my Department area supplied by the Government Car Service (GCS) which is the responsibility of the Cabinet Office.

Public Bodies

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the non-departmental public bodies in existence on 1 May 1997 that (a) have been disbanded, indicating when they were disbanded, (b) will be disbanded in the next 12 months, (c) have had their functions transferred to (i) another non-departmental public body and (ii) a democratically elected body, (d) have been renamed but continue to perform a similar role and (e) have been unchanged; if he will indicate in (c)(ii) the relevant successor body; what new non-departmental public bodies have been established since 1 May 1997; and how many non-departmental public bodies his Department currently is responsible for. [90795]

Mr. Michael: Since May 1997, no new non-departmental public bodies have been established, eight have been disbanded and 37 remain in existence. Several of these are technical or professional bodies rather than "quangos" in the normally accepted sense of that term. Future decisions will be a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. The specific organisations referred to are set out in the following list:

(a) Since 1 May 1997 the following non-departmental public bodies have been disbanded:

the Agricultural Advisory Panel for Wales, (May 1997);

the Staff Commission for Wales, (July 1997);

the Welsh Council for Post Graduate Medical and Dental Education, (August 1997);

the Development Board for Rural Wales, (October 1998);

the Land Authority for Wales, (October 1998);

Tai Cymru, (November 1998);

the Residuary Body for Wales, (December 1998);

the Welsh Advisory Committee on Drug and Alcohol Misuse, (May 1999).

(b) It is now a matter for the Assembly to decide whether further bodies will be disbanded.

(c)(i) The Development Board for Rural Wales and the Land Authority for Wales were disbanded and their functions transferred to the Welsh Development Agency.

(ii) Responsibility for the Residuary Body for Wales' remaining properties was passed on to Caerphilly County Borough Council. The functions of Tain Cymru have passed to the Welsh Office and latterly the National assembly.