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Enterprise Management Incentives
Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlay the estimate in the Pre-Budget report, page 47, Paragraph 3.60, that 2,500 companies will use enterprise management incentives over the next three years. [138620]
Mr. Timms: The target population for EMIs is broadly the same as that for the Enterprise Investment Scheme, which has attracted over 3,000 companies in its first six years. EMIs are simple to operate, and the potential benefits from being able to attract and retain high quality employees suggest that EMIs will be popular.
Fuel Tax (Farmers and Horticulturists)
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the impact of a tax on fossil fuels on farmers and horticulturists. [137142]
Mr. Timms [holding answer 16 November 2000]: The Government have received representations on tax on fuel from a large number of organisations and individuals, including farmers and horticulturists. Farmers are entitled to use 'red diesel' for off road use, with a duty rate of just over 3p/litre. The Government have announced that this rate will be frozen in Budget 2001 in cash terms.
The Government announced in the pre-Budget report that they intend to abolish vehicle excise duties on tractors. Also, in recognition of the unique position of the UK horticulture sector, the Government announced in the March Budget that they intend to offer a special package of support under the climate change levy.
Working Families Tax Credit
Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the yield from abolishing the child care tax credit element of the Working Families Tax Credit. [139059]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 December 1998, Official Report, column 753W. The Government have no plans to abolish the child care tax credit element of the Working Families Tax Credit.
British Film Industry
Mr. Fearn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans there are to renew the section 42 tax relief scheme in relation to the British film industry. [139066]
Dawn Primarolo: We have no plans to renew the section 42 tax relief scheme in relation to the British film industry because there is no time restriction in the Finance Act (No. 2) 1992.
EU Tax Harmonisation
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) Ministers and (b) institutions of the European Union concerning proposals for discussion at Nice of the need to harmonise further (a) direct and (b) indirect taxation; and if he will publish such proposals. [139057]
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Dawn Primarolo: The Government have made it quite clear that they will insist on retaining unanimity for decisions on taxation. Published Commission communications will have been subject to the normal parliamentary scrutiny procedures.
Euro
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Department has undertaken on the effects of the euro on competition; and if he will make a statement. [139077]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 3 February 2000, Official Report, column 687W.
Brit Discs
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much the annual vehicle excise duty of a 40 tonne truck will be reduced as a result of the proposed introduction of a Brit disc on foreign hauliers. [139300]
Mr. Timms: The Government announced in the pre-Budget report that they intend to introduce a 'user charge' or 'vignette' scheme in the UK for lorries. The Government would intend that UK hauliers would face no additional costs as a result.
No decisions on the detailed arrangements of such a scheme have been taken. The Government will consult on the operational implications. In addition the Government announced that they plan to reform vehicle excise duty for lorries in Budget 2001. They are consulting on this reform.
Debt Management Office
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement of 8 November 2000, Official Report, columns 315-27, and the pre-Budget report, paragraph B66, when the Debt Management Office will publish the range of instruments in which it may invest surpluses. [138786]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The revised Debt Management Office list outlining additions to the range of instruments in which the DMO can transact on a bilateral basis for cash management purposes was published at 3:30 pm on 9 November 2000. It was issued by way of a screen announcement to the major electronic newswire services. A copy of the announcement can be found on the Debt Management Office's website at: http://www.dmo.gov.uk/cash/index.htm.
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his oral statement of 8 November 2000, Official Report, columns 315-27, and the pre-Budget report, if he will estimate VAT receipts for financial year 2001-02, assuming a stable ratio VAT receipts to consumption; and if he will make a statement. [138785]
Dawn Primarolo: The impact of the National Audit Office audited assumption on VAT receipts to 2005-06 is contained in paragraph B42 of the November 2000 pre-Budget report.
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Industrial Diseases (Death Certificates)
Ms McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many death certificates were issued for each of the years 1990 to 1999 which mention (a) cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, (b) extrinsic allergic alveolitis and (c) asbestosis. [139303]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Ms Chris McCafferty, dated 20 November 2000:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of death certificates issued for 1990 and 1999 which mention cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, extrinsic allergic alveolitis and asbestosis. (139303)
- Since 1993, all conditions mentioned on the death certificates have been coded routinely and figures requested for those years are presented in the attached table.
- In earlier years, while the underlying cause of death was routinely coded only a selection of the other causes mentioned in the death certificate were identified for coding purposes. Asbestosis was identified in this way but alveolitis was not separately identified. For 1990, 1991 and 1992 the number of certificates mentioning asbestosis was 155, 135 and 148 respectively. These figures are however not comparable with those for later years because of the different methods used.
| Cause of death and ICD9(21) code | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (ICD 495) | Asbestosis (ICD 501) | Idiopathic fibrosing alveolitis (ICD 516.3) | |
| 1993 | 36 | 293 | 1,348 |
| 1994 | 34 | 265 | 1,322 |
| 1995 | 43 | 207 | 1,376 |
| 1996 | 25 | 260 | 1,414 |
| 1997 | 26 | 224 | 1,521 |
| 1998 | 29 | 186 | 1,558 |
| 1999 | 36 | 211 | 1,633 |
(21) Deaths are classified according to the WHO International Classification of Disease Ninth Edition.
Note:
The terminology used in the table follows that in the WHO volume
Employee Statistics
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many constituencies the number of (a) male and (b) female employees has decreased since (i) 1997 and (ii) 1999. [139305]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Frank Field, dated 20 November 2000:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of Parliamentary Constituencies that have seen a fall in employee jobs since 1997 and 999. (139305)
- The Annual Employment Survey (AES) is the current source of data on the numbers of employee jobs in Parliamentary Constituencies. Limited post-1997 information may be obtained by comparing the AES results for 1997 and 1998. These can be
20 Nov 2000 : Column: 80W
- accessed from the NOMIS database in the House of Commons Library. Estimates for 1999 will not be released until April 2001 and will be based on the Annual Business Inquiry, the AES's successor.
VAT (Church Repairs)
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) when he expects his proposal of a 5 per cent. rate of VAT on church repairs to come into effect; [138823]
- (2) what advice the Treasury intends to give to organisations intending to carry out repairs on churches about when the reduction in the rate of VAT will come into effect; [138832]
(3) when he expects to receive an answer from the European Commission to his request to set a lower rate of VAT on church repairs; [138833]
Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his timescale is for implementing his proposal for reducing VAT for listed buildings that are places of worship. [138840]
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive a reply from the European Commission to his application for a change to VAT on churches. [139267]
Dawn Primarolo: The Government have requested that the European Commission should consider making early legislative proposals to include repairs, maintenance and improvements to listed places of worship in the list of permissible reduced rates annexed to the Sixth Directive. The European Commission is currently considering this request. It is too early to discuss the date when any reduced rate could come into effect.
Mr. Jon Owen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Chancellor's proposal on the VAT levied on church repairs will also apply to mosques, synagogues and other places of worship. [138831]
Dawn Primarolo: Yes. Places of worship are listed religious buildings such as cathedrals, churches, chapels, meeting-houses, synagogues, mosques and temples.
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