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Economic and Monetary Union

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to submit an updated annual Convergence Programme as required by the Stability and Growth Pact. [104120]

Mr. Gordon Brown: As required under the Stability and Growth Pact, an updated, annual Convergence Programme is being submitted to the European Commission today. Copies of the Programme are being placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Russell Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish figures showing (a) the total updated value of private sector investment in the period covered by the Financial Statement and Budget report, March 1999, resulting from PFI projects and (b) the public spending commitments from 1999-2000 onwards resulting from PFI projects signed or expected to be signed by the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review period. [104124]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The figures are set out in the tables:

21 Dec 1999 : Column: 577W

Table A: Estimated capital spending by the private sector
£ million

1998-991999-20002000-012001-02
Defence319.0315.0520.0199.0
FCO and Overseas Development24.029.04.02.0
Agriculture(1)0.00.09.012.0
Trade and Industry51.054.032.032.0
Environment, Transport and the Regions(1)636.0917.0775.0740.0
Education and Employment(1)11.023.027.09.0
Home Office73.0227.0195.044.0
Legal Departments16.064.066.026.0
Culture, Media and Sport1.00.03.04.0
Health310.0610.0740.0690.0
Social Security87.0264.0166.020.0
Scotland219.0404.0464.0120.0
Wales53.090.087.037.0
Northern Ireland12.036.099.078.0
Chancellors' Departments98.091.034.0104.0
Local Authorities(1)287.0603.0993.0886.0
Total2,197.03,727.04,214.03,003.0

(1) Includes Forestry Commission.

(1) Includes the private sector capital investment in CTRL.

(1) Excludes PFI/PPP activity in the further and higher education (FHE) sectors, which are classified to the private sector. For FHE, the total estimated capital value of major PFI/PPP projects which have been signed or expected to sign is £54 million in 1999-2000 and £152 million in 2000-01.

(1) PFI activity in local authority schools is included in the local authorities line.


21 Dec 1999 : Column: 579W

21 Dec 1999 : Column: 579W

Table B: Estimated payments under PFI contracts-- December 1999

£ million
1999-20001,167
2000-011,787
2001-022,219
2002-032,624
2003-042,885
2004-052,940
2005-062,903
2006-072,920
2007-082,925
2008-092,816
2009-102,796
2010-112,736
2011-122,672
2012-132,557
2013-142,495
2014-152,376
2015-162,156
2016-172,118
2017-182,084
2018-192,000
2019-201,991
2020-212,006
2021-221,950
2022-231,959
2023-241,833
2024-251,808
2025-261,517
2026-271,236

Note:

Table B shows a forecast of the estimated payments for services flowing from new private investment over the next twenty five years. Actual expenditure will depend on the details of the payment mechanism for each contract. Payments may be lower than estimated due to deductions from the service payments caused by either the supplier's failure to make the service available or a failure to meet the required performance standards. In addition variances may occur due to changes in the service requirements agreed during the course of the contracts. Payments may also vary as a result of the early termination of a contract triggering contractual arrangements for compensation on termination.


Tax Credits

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications he has had with the OECD this year about the treatment of tax credits in the public accounts. [103658]

Dawn Primarolo: My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts at the OECD, concerning many issues to do with revenue statistics, including the treatment of tax credits.

21 Dec 1999 : Column: 580W

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his latest estimate of the costs to businesses of administering the working families tax credit; and by what mechanisms he proposes to reimburse businesses for these costs. [103660]

Dawn Primarolo: These figures are contained in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, published on 3 December.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what communications he has had this year with Eurostat about the treatment of tax credits in the public accounts. [103659]

Dawn Primarolo: My officials are in regular contact with their counterparts in Eurostat, concerning many issues to do with the national accounts, including the treatment of tax credits.

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a copy of the OECD's guidelines on the treatment of tax credits in the public accounts. [103657]

Dawn Primarolo: The conventions underlying the OECD figures for international comparisons of tax revenues can be found in the 1999 edition of "Revenue Statistics", published by the OECD.

Mrs. Ellman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total amount of money that will be payable annually to eligible claimants for working families tax credit and child care credits in (a) Liverpool, Riverside and (b) Liverpool. [103931]

Dawn Primarolo: Reliable estimates of the amounts that will be paid to those eligible for Working Families' Tax Credit and child care tax credit in Liverpool, Riverside and Liverpool are not yet available.

Working Families Tax Credit

Mr. Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Monmouthshire are currently in receipt of the working families tax credit. [102909]

Dawn Primarolo: Reliable estimates for the numbers in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit in Monmouthshire are not yet available.

Mr. Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the armed forces at the Colchester Garrison he estimates are entitled to the working families tax credit; and if he will make a statement. [102853]

21 Dec 1999 : Column: 581W

Dawn Primarolo: I regret that the information requested is not available.

Dr. Kumar: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the number of people who will be able to benefit from the working families tax credit in the Middlesbrough South and Cleveland, East constituency; and if he will make a statement. [102911]

Dawn Primarolo: Based on known Family Credit figures for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East, and expected eligibility nationally for Working Families Tax Credit, the estimated number of families which may be eligible for Working Families Tax Credit on this basis in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East is about 2,800.

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend the working families tax credit (a) to absent parents supporting children financially and (b) to help families cover housing costs. [103188]

Dawn Primarolo: Currently there are no plans to extend the working families tax credit to absent parents who are financially supporting their children. The Government will set out their housing vision in a Housing Green Paper which they expect to publish next year. The Green Paper will also consider ways of improving the housing benefit scheme.

Double Taxation Agreement

Mr. Colman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what parliamentary scrutiny he proposes the UK's Double Taxation Agreement with the US will be subject. [102908]

Dawn Primarolo: New Double Taxation Conventions are laid before the House as a Schedule to a draft Order in Council. The usual procedure is that the draft Order is considered first by the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments and then by a Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation.

New Taxes

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the new taxes introduced (a) between June 1992 and April 1997 and (b) from May 1997 to date. [102863]

Dawn Primarolo: This information can be found in the relevant Financial Statement and Budget Reports, which can be found in the House of Commons Library.


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