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Porton Down

Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will call for a report on progress made with the police investigation into events at Porton Down; and if he will make a statement. [127379]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Investigations are continuing. I refer to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 19 June 2000, Official Report, column 98W.

Prison Incidents

Mr. Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list by (a) prison and (b) categories of prisoners the number of incidents of (i) self-harm, (ii) indiscipline, (iii) assaults by prisoners on staff, (iv) assaults by prisoners on prisoners, (v) assaults by staff on prisoners, (vi) drug seizures, (vii) positive drug tests, indicating the type of drug involved and (viii) failure to complete mandatory drug tests, in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [127918]

Mr. Boateng: I have placed the information requested in the Library.

Complete records are only available centrally for periods since 1996-97. Only prisons that were operational for the years 1996-97 to 1999-2000 have been included.

The Prison Service does not collect incident data by category of prisoner. Instead the category of prison is shown. Prisons are categorised by their main function only.

Freemasons

Mr. Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many forms were sent to police officers of all ranks asking if they are freemasons; how many replies stated they (a) were and (b) were not freemasons; and how many declined to answer. [129109]

Mr. Charles Clarke: Some 151,091 forms were sent to police officers and civilian support staff in 32 police forces in England and Wales. Of those, 610 who responded declared that they were freemasons, 49,431 declared that they were not freemasons, and 101,042 did not respond or responded by declining to say whether or not they were freemasons. A breakdown of figures between officers and support staff is not available.

4 Jul 2000 : Column: 176W

TREASURY

Working Families Tax Credit

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families have been in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit in each month since March. [126911]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 21 June 2000]: Provisional estimates of the number of families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit at each end-month are as follows:

	Thousand
March 2000	1,052
April 2000	1,053

Estimated figures for the corresponding months last year are as follows:

	Thousand
March 1999	822
April 1999	823

Free Television Licences

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 7 June 2000, Official Report, column 274W, how many pensioner households there are in the Christchurch constituency comprising one or more people aged 75 years or over; and what was the basis for his calculation of the number of pensioners aged 75 years and over in that constituency. [125976]

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 15 June 2000]: The latest available information comes from the 1991 Census New Parliamentary Constituency Monitor for the South West Government Office Region, published by the Office for National Statistics. It shows the population of the Christchurch constituency as 80,938, of which 5.3 per cent. were men aged 75 and over and 8.4 per cent. were women aged 75 and over. The Monitor does not give information on pensioner households broken down by age.

Land Value Taxation

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on land value taxation; and what taxation concessions are available for brownfield development. [127455]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 26 June 2000]: There is no specific tax on the value of land. Profits or gains from the sale of land and from development itself may be chargeable to income tax, corporation tax or capital gains tax. Sales of land are generally subject to stamp duty.

The Government will consult interested parties about a possible relief from stamp duty for new developments on brownfield sites.

Tobacco Taxation

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue yield from increasing tobacco taxation by (a) 5p, (b) 10p and (c) 20p per packet of cigarettes. [127601]

4 Jul 2000 : Column: 177W

Mr. Timms [holding answer 27 June 2000]: Indicative estimates of the revenue effects of changes in tobacco taxation were published in the Treasury's "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs" in November 1999.

Single Currency

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what definition is used of socially disadvantaged individuals by the European Community in the context of requiring particular attention in the single currency information campaign. [128135]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Commission defines vulnerable groups as those people who do not have easy access to traditional information flows, for example, those who are visually impaired or hearing impaired.

Incontinence Pads

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many applications for the reimbursement of VAT paid on incontinence pads have been received in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available. [128491]

Dawn Primarolo: No VAT is charged on incontinence products supplied to an incontinent person living in their own home or to charitable providers of care.

MOD Assets

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the use made by the Ministry of Defence of Treasury Guidelines for greater commercial utilisation of Ministry of Defence property and assets. [128269]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Ministry of Defence's progress in making best use of its asset base, including commercial opportunities, is assessed in the Departmental Investment Strategy, which will be published in the autumn.

Taxpayers (Prosecutions)

Mr. Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent guidance he has given to the Inland Revenue about prosecuting those who are late in paying taxes. [129005]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue's prosecution policy was published on 29 November 1999 and remains in force. It can be read on the Inland Revenue's website, www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.

National Insurance

Dr. Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many married women who have retained the right to reduced liability for National Insurance contributions would qualify for (a) the minimum 25 per cent. State Retirement Pension and (b) an increased percentage of retirement pension, if they revoked the

4 Jul 2000 : Column: 178W

reduced liability option from the April 2000-01 tax year; and what the estimated amount of pension foregone would be in each case. [128599]

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide a reliable estimate of the numbers of married women with a valid election to pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions who would qualify for a minimum State Retirement Pension if they revoked their elections.

Foreign Taxation

Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the (a) French and (b) Belgian authorities have recently requested help in recovering tax from UK citizens. [128636]

Dawn Primarolo: Assistance in recovering tax for the French or Belgian authorities is available only in relation to indirect taxes under EC Directive 76-308.

In the last three months there have been no requests from the French authorities for assistance, and in the same period the Belgian authorities requested help on two VAT cases amounting to £3,348.48 and six Excise duty cases amounting to £61,708.03.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on his Department's progress in meeting its targets for answering parliamentary questions; [129069]

(2) if he will make a statement on his Department's progress on its targets for answering parliamentary questions. [129220]

Mr. Timms: The Treasury is on track to meet its targets for answering parliamentary questions in the present session.

VAT

Mr. Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to zero rate the VAT payable by disabled people on the repair of their cars; and if he will make a statement. [129034]

Dawn Primarolo: There is already VAT relief on the service of repair or maintenance of motor vehicles designed or substantially and permanently adapted to carry a disabled person in a wheelchair or on a stretcher. There is also relief for disabled people leasing vehicles through the Motability scheme: the leases for these vehicles cover servicing and repair.

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