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Car-free Sundays
Mr. Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has to encourage cities to introduce car-free Sundays. [120842]
Correspondence
Mr. Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will reply to the letter dated 14 December 1999 from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, regarding the proposals to introduce cabinet-style committees in the National Park Authority. [121064]
Mr. Meacher: I replied to the right hon. Member on 4 May.
FV Gaul
Ms Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the reports he commissioned into (a) the efforts previously made by the Department to locate the wreck of the FV Gaul and (b) the results of the examination of graves found in Northern Russia will be published. [121343]
Mr. Prescott: Both of the reports by Roger Clarke, formerly Director of Shipping and Ports in my Department, are published today and copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
Roger Clarke's report on the Department's previous efforts to locate the wreck of the Gaul identifies lapses of corporate memory both in my Department and in the Ministry of Defence, in the latter instance following the destruction of files. We deeply regret these mistakes, and any distress they may have caused, particularly to the families of those lost with the Gaul.
Roger Clarke makes a number of recommendations on these and other matters regarding the location and examination of marine casualties. We intend to act on all his recommendations, and our responses to each of them have also been placed in the Library.
His second report deals with the investigation of a number of graves in Northern Russia which may have contained the remains of victims of the Gaul. DNA samples were taken but no match has been found. Roger Clarke's report details the way this onerous investigation was undertaken. Details which identify those who provided DNA samples have been deleted from the published report.
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
World Class Performance
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will set targets for the world class performance sportsmen and women for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and publish them before 1 September. [121042]
Kate Hoey: It is not for Ministers to set such targets. We have asked UK Sport for information and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Library.
5 May 2000 : Column: 230W
Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many athletes who gained world class performance status in 1999 achieved personal best performances at the World Athletics Championships in 1999; [121040]
- (2) how much money has been spent on the world class performance programme by Sport England and the UK Sports Council (a) since it was introduced and (b) per sport; [121041]
(3) which sportsmen and women have qualified for world class performance status for 1999 and 2000; and which of them have since achieved a new best performance where that can be measured. [121039]
Kate Hoey: We have contacted UK Sport to request the information required, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Library.
TREASURY
VAT
Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses in the north-west (a) registered and (b) deregistered for VAT in each year since 1992. [119847]
Dawn Primarolo: The number of businesses in the north-west which registered and deregistered for VAT since 1992 is as follows:
| Calendar year | Registrations | Deregistrations |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 17,326 | 21,370 |
| 1993 | 16,412 | 20,752 |
| 1994 | 15,174 | 18,600 |
| 1995 | 18,699 | 17,154 |
| 1996 | 18,269 | 14,196 |
| 1997 | 20,455 | 15,308 |
| 1998 | 20,510 | 14,130 |
| 1999 | 20,094 | 12,818 |
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will desegregate by income decile the number of families receiving (a) 0 to 10 per cent., (b) 11 to 20 per cent., (c) 21 to 30 per cent., (d) 31 to 40 per cent., (e) 41 to 50 per cent., (f) 51 to 60 per cent. and (g) 61 to 70 per cent. of child care costs through the Working Families Tax Credit. [120608]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 2 May 2000]: Insufficient data on income are provided by applicants for the Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC) to allocate them between decile groups of income as conventionally defined for such analyses. Also, household survey data available for analysis do not yet cover families receiving the tax credits, and sample numbers may in any case be too small for reliable estimates to be made in the detail requested.
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if in (a) the initial determination and (b) each subsequent determination of a working families tax credit claim the (i) number and (ii) age of children is checked against child benefit records. [120054]
5 May 2000 : Column: 231W
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 20 April 2000]: The number and ages of children from child benefit records can be checked by officers assessing any application for WFTC, and this is normally done if child benefit information is omitted from the WFTC application form, or if conflicting information has been supplied by the WFTC applicant.
Treasury Building
Mrs. Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the refurbishment of the Treasury building. [121311]
Mr. Andrew Smith: Ministerial approval of plans for the refurbishment of the Treasury building under the private finance initiative was announced by the former Chief Secretary on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 400-01. Under the terms of the project agreement signed last year, the Treasury's private sector partner, Exchequer Partnership plc (EP), is responsible for a number of risks, including obtaining town planning and listed building consents and securing the funding to finance the works. Both conditions have now been satisfied and the deal has therefore reached financial close. Work is planned to start on site on 17 July (the date of granting vacant possession of the Park end of the building) with completion in August 2002.
The contract, which is for 37 years and one month from vacant possession, provides for the Treasury to pay an annual payment (the Unitary Payment) to EP in return for fully serviced accommodation to performance standards specified in advance. The Unitary Payment has been fixed in real terms at £14.037 million in March 1999 prices and will be uprated annually in line with the retail prices index.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Rover
Mr. Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the progress made by the Rover Task Force. [121344]
Mr. Byers: The Rover Task Force has published its interim report, which is available in the Libraries of the House and the Vote Office. A final report is expected to be published by the end of June.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government have sought EU approval for paying rescue aid to a bidder for Rover. [120826]
Mr. Byers: No requests for aid has been received in respect of a bid for Rover.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Regional Selective Assistance originally proposed for BMW/Rover will be available for new projects in the West Midlands to replace Longbridge employment. [120855]
Mr. Byers: When I set up the Rover Task Force on 17 March, I announced that a Government contribution of £129 million, which was originally offered to BMW in
5 May 2000 : Column: 232W
the form of Regional Selective Assistance, will now be available to support other, good quality projects in the region.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment he has made of the level of financial backing possessed by the Tower bid for Rover; [120854]
- (2) what recent estimate he has made of the extent of job losses (a) under the Alchemy bid, (b) under the Tower bid and (c) in the event of closure of the Rover plant at Longbridge. [120853]
Mr. Byers: The details of any successful bid for Rover, and hence the effects on employment, will not be known until agreement is finally reached with BMW.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is towards the (a) Alchemy and (b) Towers consortium bids for Longbridge. [120827]
Mr. Byers: The Government have consistently stated that we want to see the best possible deal for Rover workers, suppliers and dealers.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assurances the Government have received from BMW about (a) the future of the Rover plant at Cowley and (b) the timing of the sale or closure of the Longbridge plant. [120825]
Mr. Byers: The future of Longbridge is the subject of commercial negotiations at the moment. BMW has stated that the future of its operations at Cowley are secure.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what estimate he has made of the amount of money needed from (a) all sources and (b) public funds to continue Rover production at Longbridge; [120857]
- (2) what rescue aid the Government are prepared to offer for Rover. [120858]
Mr. Byers: Commercial negotiations are still continuing over the future of Rover Group, including future production at Longbridge. No request for Government financial support has been received from any party to the negotiations.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Towers Consortium has (a) applied for regional selective assistance or other Department's grants or (b) indicated to his Department that it will be applying. [120549]
Mr. Byers [holding answer 2 May 2000]: No application for Government grants or aid, or indication of a forthcoming application, has been received from the Towers Consortium.
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) meetings and (b) conversations he has had with (i) the principals and (ii) other representatives of (1) Alchemy Partners, (2) the Towers Consortium and (3) BMW since 31 March. [120092]
Mr. Byers: A number of meetings and conversations have taken place.
5 May 2000 : Column: 233W
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the regional selective assistance offered to BMW/Rover was intended to cover revenue losses. [120821]
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