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TREASURY

Trust Ports

Mr. Syms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Office for National Statistics has reached a preliminary view on the treatment of trust ports as part of the PSBR rules; and if he will make a statement. [147146]

Miss Melanie Johnson [holding answer 25 January 2001]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Robert Syms, dated 29 January 2001:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the treatment of trust ports as part of the PSBR rules (147146).

The Office for National Statistics (ONS), in conjunction with Her Majesty's Treasury, has been reviewing the classification of bodies that might be classified in the public sector. The classification of trust ports is still under discussion between the ONS, Her Majesty's Treasury and the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

VAT (Home Care Concession)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to implement the extra-statutory concession on VAT for home care, announced in February 2000; and for what reason the concession is linked to proposed changes in Department of Trade and Industry regulations which have yet to be implemented; and if he will make a statement. [147186]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 25 January 2001]: Customs will implement the Extra Statutory Concession to coincide with the changes in the Department of Trade and Industry regulations on the private recruitment industry. A side effect of these changes could have been an increase in the VAT paid for necessary home care provided by employment bureaux. The concession will

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mean that the VAT burden on those least able to look after themselves is not increased as a result of the DTI changes, and in many cases will actually go down.

Government Shares (Privatised Companies)

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) number, (b) percentage of the total and (c) current value is of shares held by Her Majesty's Government in companies privatised since 1985. [146837]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Information on the number and nominal value of the Government's shareholdings held at 31 March 2000, as reported to the Treasury, is contained in Table B13 of the Supplementary Statements to the Consolidated Fund and National Loans Fund accounts 1999-2000. Since then the Government have disposed of shares in British Telecom, and I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stevenage (Barbara Follett) on 3 July 2000, Official Report, column 93W. Information on what proportion of the total these represent is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The market value of these shares can be derived from prices quoted on the London Stock Exchange.

Ahava (UK) Ltd.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information HM Customs and Excise have received on the origin of cosmetics imported into the UK by Ahava (UK) Ltd. under preference as made in the State of Israel. [147581]

Dawn Primarolo: HM Customs and Excise receives a range of information and representations.

Ahava (UK) Ltd. was one of those companies identified to member states by the European Commission in its communication of April 2000 as warranting investigation.

Dr. Starkey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Customs and Excise have already taken or are planning to take to verify that cosmetics imported to the UK by Ahava (UK) Ltd. under the EC-Israel Association Agreement and labelled 'State of Israel' are produced within the internationally recognised borders of Israel. [147580]

Dawn Primarolo: The trade agreement between the EC and Israel allows the subsequent verification of proofs of origin.

Products imported into the UK by Ahava (UK) Ltd. from Israel have been included in a verification exercise currently being conducted with the Israeli authorities to ascertain the origin of products imported under preference. As yet no results have been received.

Disabled Persons Tax Credit

Mr. Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were claiming the Disabled Persons Tax Credit on 1 January. [147277]

Dawn Primarolo: A provisional estimate for the end of August 2000 was given in my answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) on 26 October 2000, Official Report, column 196W.

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A figure for the end of October 2000 will be included in the DPTC Quarterly Enquiry for October 2000, which is due to be published on 13 March.

Mr. Bradshaw: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received about the payment method for the Disabled Persons Tax Credit. [145978]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government receive a wide range of representations, including on Disabled Persons Tax Credit, which at the end of August 2000 was received by 25,400 families and individuals. This compares with 18,469 recipients under Disability Working Allowance in August 1999.

Working Families Tax Credit

Helen Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received on the difficulties faced by term-time only workers in claiming WFTC; and if he will make a statement; [147152]

(2) how many claims for WFTC have been made by those working on term-time only contracts; and what proportion of such claims has been disallowed because they were made during a holiday period. [147154]

Dawn Primarolo: A small number of representations have been received from and on behalf of term-time workers. Information on the number of claims disallowed because the claim falls within a period where the applicant is not under a contract of employment is not available.

Advance Corporation Tax

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the abolition of advance corporation tax dividend credit; [145958]

Dr. Julian Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the abolition of advance corporation tax dividend credit. [145992]

Dawn Primarolo: Advance corporation tax and payable tax credits on dividends were abolished as part of a package of reforms to encourage companies to invest for the long term.

Tax Credits

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assumptions about take-up of (a) the Children's Tax Credit and (b) the Working Families Tax Credit under Chart 5.2 in his pre-Budget report. [147810]

Dawn Primarolo: Chart 5.2 of the November 2000 pre-Budget report shows the impact of children's tax and benefit measures introduced over this Parliament on families. The figures are calculated by comparing the situation after the implementation of the Working Families Tax Credit, Children's Tax Credit, and increases to Child Benefit and income-related benefits with what would have happened if these policy interventions had not taken place.

These figures are consistent with published PBR estimates that 5 million families will benefit from the introduction of the Children's Tax Credit and that up to 1.4 million families will benefit from the Working Families Tax Credit.

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Hinduja Brothers

Mr. Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what applications (a) the Hinduja brothers and (b) their companies have made for a UK banking licence since May 1997; and which Ministers were involved in the applications. [147796]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Applications for authorisation of banks have been decided by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) since 1 June 1998, and were previously the responsibility of the Bank of England. The Government have had no role in this process before or after that date. The FSA publishes the list of authorised institutions.

Insurance Actuaries

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance he has offered on the proper role of the appointed actuary in insurance enterprises, with special reference to the issue of internal conflicts of interest. [147250]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The statutory duties of the Appointed Actuary are set out in the Insurance Companies Act 1982.

Euro

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which of his five economic tests for joining the euro have been met; when he expects the others to be met; and if he will make a statement. [147376]

Miss Melanie Johnson: The Government have said that they will make another assessment of the five tests early in the next Parliament.

Departmental Surveys

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) 1992-93, (b) 1993-94, (c) 1994-95, (d) 1995-96, (e) 1996-97, (f) 1997-98, (g) 1998-99, (h) 1999-2000 and (i) 2000-01, (I) his Department's total spending on quantitative and qualitative surveys of policy issues by focus groups, opinion polling, task forces or other means and (II) the cost of each individual project. [146593]

Miss Melanie Johnson: Detailed information in the form requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

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