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Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of families in Hendon which will benefit from working families tax credit in its first year. [94394]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Estimates for Hendon are not available.
Duty-free Money
Sir Richard Body: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate for 1999 the proportion of the money stock as measured by MO which can be attributed to duty-free money as measured by MO; and if he will state the proportion in the years (a) 1989 and (b) 1979. [94126]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Figures for MO are published in table 3.1B of the ONS publication "Financial Statistics". Data on the amount of duty-free spending is not available for the years requested.
Departmental Publications
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the titles of the in-house publications and newsletters which were produced for the staff of his Department, excluding non-departmental public
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bodies and agencies, in the last five years, specifying the dates on which each title was first produced, the frequency with which each title is produced and the current secrecy classification of each title. [93852]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The Treasury has produced a monthly staff magazine called "Chequerboard" since July 1992. To date there have been 80 issues, all of which have contained only unclassified material.
Mr. Caplin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the recent European Central Bank's agreement on gold. [94834]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The agreement reached by European central banks 1 to limit gold sales and lending over the next five years means that the UK will be able to continue its sales programme while the price is underpinned. The agreement is an endorsement of the UK's transparent approach to selling gold. The Bank of England is a signatory on behalf of the Treasury.
The text of the European central banks statement is set out below:
Mr. Caplin:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish his Pre-Budget report. [94835]
Mr. Gordon Brown:
This year's Pre-Budget Report will be published on Tuesday 9 November.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the tax-free concessions which apply to (i) UK diplomats returning to the UK from EU countries, for (a) visits and (b) permanent residence and (ii) families of UK diplomats, indicating how many UK diplomats and members of their families are entitled to benefit from such tax free concessions. [94412]
Mr. Timms:
No UK tax concessions are granted specifically to returning UK diplomats.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax-free concessions apply to (i) UK nationals and (ii) their families who are employed by or otherwise
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attached to, or are members of the (a) European Parliament, (b) European Commission, and (c) NATO when returning to the UK on visits or for permanent residence, indicating how many people in the above categories are entitled to benefit from tax-free concessions. [94413]
Mr. Timms:
UK nationals and their families who are employed by or otherwise attached to, or are members of the (a) European Parliament, (b) European Commission, and (c) NATO on return to the UK for visits or transfer of residence are not by virtue of their status granted any special tax-free concessions. The host nation tax authority can, however, extend some concessions to eligible organisations and their personnel. Where the UK is the host nation no tax concessions are granted to UK nationals.
Mr. Dismore:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice is given to people with entitlement to tax-free concessions as to the use of the entitlements; and if he will make a statement. [94414]
Mr. Timms:
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise diplomatic missions, international organisations and their entitled personnel as to their tax-free entitlements. Customs and Excise advise visiting forces as to their tax-free entitlements.
Mr. Mackinlay:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the reports published by his Department and its associated bodies, (b) the reports received from bodies set up by his Department, (c) the decisions his Department has taken and (d) events in the UK and elsewhere, since 27 July, which satisfied the criteria he uses for deciding whether to apply to make oral statements to the House when the House is sitting. [93966]
Miss Melanie Johnson:
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer which the President of the Council has given him today.
Mr. David Atkinson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement of progress on the millennium readiness of his Department's computer systems, and those for which it is responsible in the
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provision of public services; if contingency plans are in place; and what slippage has occurred since the July Quarterly Report to the House. [93574]
Dr. Reid:
Computer systems, embedded systems and telecommunications within the Scotland Office have been tested and declared to be Year 2000 compliant. No slippage has occurred since the July return, and contingency plans are in place. Responsibility for Year 2000 compliance in the wider public sector in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
Mr. Chaytor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the carbon dioxide emissions reduction needed for a 20 per cent. reduction in the UK's 1990 levels by 2010 he expects to be delivered in Scotland. [93868]
Dr. Reid:
Following Kyoto in 1997, the UK has a legally binding target to cut emissions of a basket of six greenhouse gases by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels over the period 2008-12. The UK Government also have a domestic goal to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.
The Government, in conjunction with the devolved administrations, are currently developing a draft climate change programme which will set out how we will deliver our Kyoto commitment and move towards our domestic goal. The aim is to publish the draft programme for consultation towards the end of 1999.
Mr. Matthew Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the titles of the in-house publications and newsletters which were produced for the staff of his Department, excluding non-departmental public bodies and agencies, in the last five years, specifying the dates on which each title was first produced, the frequency with which each title is produced and the current secrecy classification of each title. [93846]
Dr. Reid:
My Department is aware of 11 in-house publications and newsletters, which have been produced during the last five years. The information is set out in the table. Where the date of first issue falls before 1994, that is the date which is given. The majority of titles have not been issued according to a fixed schedule. Circulation of these titles ranges from 'all staff' to staff in a single Scottish Department. None of these titles carry any security classification.
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Statement on Gold
In the interest of clarifying their intentions with respect to their gold holdings, the institutions listed below 1 make the following statement:
1. Gold will remain an important element of global monetary reserves.
2. The above institutions will not enter the market as sellers, with exception of already decided sales.
3. The gold sales already decided will be achieved through a concerted programme of sales over the next five years. Annual sales will not exceed approximately 400 tons and total sales over this period will not exceed 2,000 tons.
4. The signatories to this agreement have agreed not to expand their gold leasing and their use of gold future and options over this period.
5. This agreement will be reviewed after five years.
1 The European Central Bank; the central banks of Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Austria, Finland, Switzerland and Sweden; and the Bank of England.
| Title of publication | Date of first issue | Date of last issue | Frequency of issue |
|---|---|---|---|
| BSU Newsletter | June 1998 | October 1999 | 9 issues |
| EC Link | May 1994 | October 1996 | 4 issues |
| Engineering, Water and Waste Directorate Newsletter(3) | 1991 | 1995 | Quarterly |
| Gemini Gem | March 1996 | March 1998 | 12 issues |
| National Roads Directorate Newsletter | December 1994 | December 1995 | 3 issues |
| Phoenix Flyer | May 1995 | February 1996 | 4 issues |
| SCOAP Newsletter | February 1996 | March 1998 | 7 issues |
| Scoop | June 1989 | September 1999 | Quarterly |
| SCOTS Newsletter | January 1995 | November 1997 | 14 issues |
| Scottish Parliament News | December 1997 | May 1999 | 8 issues |
| Training and Development News | February 1997 | August 1999 | 15 issues |
(3) No records regarding this title remain, as the Directorate has since been reorganised
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