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VAT (Charitable Almhouses)
Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce to 5 per cent. the VAT payable for repairs and modernisation of charitable almshouse property. [R] [140978]
Dawn Primarolo: The modernisation of a listed almshouse may be zero-rated provided that the work is an alteration which requires listed building consent. Also, in the Pre-Budget Report we announced plans for a reduced rate of VAT for the conversion of a residential property into a different number of dwellings.
Hypothermia Statistics
Mr. David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many deaths in England and Wales in 1998-99 and 1999-2000 hypothermia was registered as the direct cause of death on the death certificate broken down by those aged (a) 60 to 74 years, (b) 75 to 84 years and (c) 85 years and over. [140917]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 22 November 2000, Official Report, columns 248-49W.
Incontinence Pads
Dr. Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will reduce VAT on incontinence pads available in shops to 5 per cent. [140825]
Dawn Primarolo: Incontinence pads can already be zero-rated by retailers supplying incontinent people living in their own homes. They are exempt from VAT when provided as part of the care incontinent people receive in nursing and residential homes.
Individual Pension Accounts
Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if it remains his policy that individual pension accounts will be available from April 2001. [140754]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government are considering responses to the document "Individual Pension Accounts" published in July and a further announcement will be made in due course.
National Investment and Loans Office
Barbara Follett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to assess the past performance of, and future options for, the National Investment and Loans Office. [141279]
Miss Melanie Johnson: The National Investment and Loans Office fulfils an important role at the heart of Government. It comprises three bodies: the National Debt Office (NDO) administers departmental investment funds, including the National Insurance Fund and the National Lottery Distribution Fund. These funds are invested in gilts and other government securities; the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) makes and administers loans (drawn
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on the National Loans Fund) to local authorities; and the Office of the Paymaster General (OPG) holds balances and provides a banking service to Government Departments and other public bodies.
I have asked Treasury officials to conduct a review of NILO's operations, working closely with NILO's senior management, and consulting NILO's customers and other interested stakeholders. The objective is:
- To review the management performance of the National Investment and Loans Office since it absorbed the Office of the Paymaster General in 1996, and to advise Treasury Ministers on the options to improve future delivery of Government objectives.
Child Tax Credit
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of child tax credit forms have been returned since they have been issued. [141280]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 24 November 2000, Official Report, column 341W.
IR35
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 24 November 2000, Official Report, column 340W, on IR35, what legal costs have been incurred to date by Her Majesty's Government in defending the action for judicial review of IR35 brought by the Professional Contractors Group. [140976]
Dawn Primarolo: I cannot add anything to my previous reply.
National Insurance
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the main areas of investment of the excess surplus in the National Insurance Fund were in the past five years; and what proportion of the excess surplus was invested in each area. [140949]
Dawn Primarolo: Details of investments appear in the National Insurance Fund Accounts prepared by the Department of Social Security and published annually by The Stationery Office.
Mr. Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the National Insurance Fund's excess surplus has been invested in the past five years; and what the annual rate of return was in each year. [140948]
Dawn Primarolo: Investments are set out in the National Insurance Fund Accounts published annually by The Stationery Office.
Petrol Prices
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on the increased cost of petrol; and if he will make a statement. [135795]
Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers receive representations on a wide range of issues. The Chancellor made a statement on fuel duties in his pre-Budget statement on 8 November.
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Spending Review 2000
Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) which environmentally damaging subsidies Departments have committed themselves to reducing or eliminating during the review of spending before the publishing of Spending Review 2000 (Cm 4807); and if he will make a statement; [137857]
- (2) which environmentally damaging subsidies Departments have committed themselves to (a) reducing and (b) eliminating during the review of spending before the publishing of Spending Review 2000 (Cm 4807); and if he will make a statement. [141225]
Mr. Andrew Smith: During the course of SR 2000, the Financial Secretary reminded Green Minister colleagues of the need to look carefully to ensure that their Departments' subsidies remain justifiable. For example, there will be better protection of the countryside through the shift from production subsidies to deliver environmental improvements in agriculture as set out in the England Rural Development Plan.
Post Offices
Mr. Home Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what extra funding has been made available to the Department of Trade and Industry for the development of post office counter services in rural and deprived urban areas; and what consequential allocation was made to the Scottish Executive. [139068]
Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government's plans to modernise the Post Office Network in the UK are set out in "Spending Review 2000: New Public Spending Plans 2001-03". As set out in the Supplementary Memorandum submitted by DTI to the Trade and Industry Select Committee, included in the Committee's thirteenth report on the Post Office and the Future of the Network, this included provision of £220 million for DTI for a UK wide programme. Copies of both can be found in the Library of the House.
Road Haulage Industry
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had in the past year with representatives of the road haulage industry; and on what dates. [134964]
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Mr. Timms: Treasury Ministers have had a number of discussions with representatives of the road haulage industry. I attended meetings of the Road Haulage Forum, which includes representatives of the Freight Transport Association, Road Haulage Association and Transport and General Workers Union, on 8 December 1999, 9 February 2000, 17 April 2000, 26 July 2000, 19 October 2000 and 14 November 2000.
Special Advisers
Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many special advisers are currently employed in the Treasury; and what their duties in each case are. [134968]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 972W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the annual salary cost of his Department's special advisers. [134698]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 12 July 2000, Official Report, column 605W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2000, Official Report, columns 111-12W, on special advisers, if he will list the destination and the total cost, including travel, accommodation and subsistence allowance, on each of the occasions when the Treasury's special advisers travelled overseas on Government business. [135247]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 July 2000, Official Report, columns 111-12W. The cost of these visits were accounted for in expenditure on Ministers' travel overseas published by the Prime Minister on 28 July 2000, Official Report, column 969W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions his Department's special advisers have travelled abroad at public expense and at what cost since May 1997. [136389]
Miss Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 18 July 2000, Official Report, columns 111-12W and to the answer given by my hon. Friend the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 403-04W.