| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Endowment Policies Mis-selling
Mr. Cohen:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about the mis-selling of endowment policies; what remedies are available to holders of endowment policies which do not realise sufficient capital on maturity to meet the mortgage repayment commitment; and if he will make a statement. [107128]
31 Jan 2000 : Column: 446W
Miss Melanie Johnson:
The advice and selling of endowment policies is fully regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA). On 21 December, FSA announced the conclusions of recent work on endowments. FSA concluded that on average holders of mortgage endowments have enjoyed returns which mean they have fared at least as well as they would have done with a repayment mortgage, and that there were no grounds for an industry-wide review of all past business. However, targeted visits to product provider and independent financial adviser firms show current selling practices to be poor. As part of its normal regulatory activities, the FSA will make follow-up visits to check for marked improvements in sales practices by the end of 2000. The FSA will not hesitate to take disciplinary action where appropriate if standards remain poor.
For investment business, including the sale of endowment policies, a redress mechanism has been established under the Financial Services Act 1986. Advisers and sellers of financial products, including endowment policies, are obliged to follow rules established under the Act which are designed to protect the financial interests of investors. The rules focus on giving best advice and assessing the suitability of proposed products to the investor's circumstances. An
31 Jan 2000 : Column: 447W
endowment policy holder with a loss resulting from non-compliance with these rules can complain to the firm involved. If the firm cannot settle the complaint, the Personal Investment Authority Ombudsman has the power to require firms to pay compensation in appropriate cases.
Mr. McNamara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines are given to the police on the carrying of weapons on visits to school premises. [105456]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 17 January 2000]: Police officers agree with the school whether or not officers visit in civilian dress or police uniform. During this visit, officers are advised not to overtly wear firearms.
Mr. Jack:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals are being considered by his Department to help sustain and develop the viability of rural and urban sub-post offices. [105856]
Mr. George Howarth
[holding answer 18 January 2000]: I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Member for Hull, West and Hessle (Mr. Johnson) on Thursday 20 January 2000, Official Report, columns 519-20W.
Mr. William Ross:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the cost of the Parades Commission in each year since its establishment and in the current year to the latest available date; and under which principal headings expenditure has been incurred. [106106]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 20 January 2000]: The total cost of the Parades Commission in the financial year 1997-98 was £613,000, and in 1998-99, the Commission's first full year, the total cost was £1.066 million, (in response to a question from Mr. Ross in September 1999 the total for 1998-99 was given as £1.064 million. This figure was incorrect and was due to rounding of figures presented in a different manner in the Annual Report.) The expenditure to December 1999, the last date available, was £697,000. The expenditure was broken down in the following categories: Pay; General Administrative Expenditure; Inter-Departmental Charges; Programme Expenditure; and Capital Expenditure.
| 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay | 124,000 | 208,000 | 185,000 |
| GAE | 57,000 | 62,000 | 39,000 |
| IDCs | -- | 34,000 | 35,000 |
| Program | 410,000 | 760,000 | 432,000 |
| Capital | 22,000 | 2,000 | 6,000 |
| Total | 613,000 | 1,066,000 | 697,000 |
31 Jan 2000 : Column: 448W
Computers
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of computer (a) fraud, including fraudulent use of computer chips and (b) theft his Department has recorded in the last five years. [106215]
Mr. Ingram: There have been no recorded incidents of fraud in the Department. On two occasions a theft of a laptop was reported.
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions in each of the past five years computer systems in his Department have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (b) outside his Department. [106231]
Mr. Ingram: There have been no known incidents of illegal accesses by computer hackers of NIO systems within or from outside the Department.
TransTec
Mr. Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the Government grants or loans received by TransTec plc or its subsidiaries for use in Northern Ireland since 1991. [107633]
Mr. Mandelson: Responsibility for this matter has been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and is therefore no longer a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Police Authority
Sir Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the occasions on which vehicles which were being used officially by executive or non-executive members of the Northern Ireland Police Authority were involved in road collisions or otherwise damaged in the past three years; and in each case if he will give (a) the circumstances in which the damage occurred, (b) who was determined to be legally responsible and (c) who paid for the damage. [103568]
Mr. Ingram [holding answer 20 December 1999]: Executive members of the Police Authority involved in a road traffic accident are required to report any damage to police fleet vehicles in accordance with internal standing orders. The Authority has no knowledge of any damage to police fleet vehicles being recorded in the past three years.
The Police Authority has no knowledge of any member of the Authority driving or being required to drive a police vehicle, officially or otherwise during the past three years.
Sir Brian Mawhinney:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which executive and non-executive members of the Northern Ireland Police Authority have held authorised fuel charge cards at any time in the past three years; and, in each case, how much has been charged to each card. [103567]
Mr. Ingram
[holding answer 20 December 1999]: Over the last three years a total of six fuel charge cards have been used within the Police Authority for Northern Ireland. These charge cards have not been issued to individual Executive or Non-Executive members of the
31 Jan 2000 : Column: 449W
Authority, but rather have been issued to two functional branches within the Authority's Transport Services Division.
During the period February 1997 to November 1999, 3,525 litres of fuel have been charged to the six fuel cards.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of members of the NHS pension scheme had qualifying survivor partners on their death in each of the last five years, broken down by members who died in service, members who died during deferral, and pensioner members. [104269]
Mr. Denham:
Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the NHS Pensions Agency under its Chief Executive, Mr. A. F. Cowan. I have asked him to reply to my hon. Friend.
| Year | Proportion of pensioner members with qualifying survivor partners on their death (%) |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 30 |
| 1996 | 30 |
| 1997 | 29 |
| 1998 | 28 |
| 1999 | 27 |
The Government Actuary's last report, covering the period from 1989-1994, assumed an average 50% of pensioner members would have qualifying partner survivors.
The difference between the actuarial assumption and the experience over the last 5 years is due to the high proportion of women represented in the number of pensioner deaths whose husbands pre-deceased them or were not entitled to widower's pensions.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |