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Terrorism (Departmental Spending)

Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what (a) proportion and (b) amount of all spending by Departments on the action against terrorism he forecasts will be met in the current financial year from funds in the reserves; [10258]

(2) if he will provide a breakdown of the costs which he forecasts will arise over the current financial year as a direct result of the war on terrorism for each Department directly affected. [10294]

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 26 October 2001]: It would be inappropriate to forecast the costs of operations and other related activities at this stage.

Railtrack

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the loss to UK pension funds of the suspension of shares in Railtrack. [8394]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The value of Railtrack shares at the time of administration was around £1.5 billion, and no institutional investor held more than 5 per cent. of the shares at the time of administration.

The Government are actively working with the board of Railtrack Group to assist shareholders in achieving fair value for assets they hold.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he was told that a decision had been taken that Railtrack was to go into administration. [8395]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Chancellor was informed of the decision that Railtrack would go into administration on Friday evening, 5 October.

Terrorist Finance Unit

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additional expenditure he plans to make to support the work of the new asset tracking unit; how many staff it will have; and when it will be operational. [11268]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The costs of the terrorist finance unit will be met from within existing spending plans. It will initially have eight staff and is expected to become fully operational by 30 November 2001.

7 Nov 2001 : Column: 253W

VAT

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) persons registered for VAT, (b) repayment traders, (c) new VAT registrations and (d) VAT deregistrations there were and what the net increase or decrease in the register was in the financial years (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) 2001–02 to the most recent date for which information is available. [11376]

Mr. Boateng: The data for the information requested for the year 1999–2000 can be found in Customs and Excise annual report. Figures for 2000–01 will be published in Customs and Excise annual report in November 2001.

The latest information was placed in the House of Commons Library in September 2001 in the form of a VAT fact sheet, which is produced every four months.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportions of average household expenditure were (a) taxable at the standard rate of VAT, (b) taxable at the reduced rate of VAT, (c) taxable at the zero rate of VAT and (d) exempt from VAT in (i) 1998, (ii) 1999, (iii) 2000 and (iv) at the most recent date for which information is available. [11371]

Mr. Boateng: The figures for 1998–99 are published in table C7 of the tables and statistics accompanying the Customs and Excise annual report. Figures for 1999–2000 are available on the Customs and Excise website www.hmce.gov.uk/general/about/index.htm.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of each of the structural reliefs for VAT in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01; and what his estimate is of the cost of each such relief in the current financial year. [11377]

Mr. Boateng: Estimates for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 were published in table A3.1 of the Budget Financial Statement and Budget Report.

Estimates for 2001–02 will be published in the annual tax ready reckoner at the time of the pre-Budget report.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the total yield of (a) value added tax and (b) excise duty in each of the last four years. [11854]

Mr. Boateng: Receipts of value added tax and excise duty for the financial years 1997–98 to 1999–2000 are published in table A1 of the tables and statistics accompanying the Customs and Excise annual report for 2000.

Details for the year 2000–01 can be found in the national statistics publication "Financial Statistics", table 2.1D.

Working Families Tax Credit

Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for the Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) of 30 October 2001, Official Report, column 625W, on the working families tax credit, (1) how many applications have been selected for further inquiry; [12329]

(2) how many applications have been selected for further inquiry. [12668]

7 Nov 2001 : Column: 254W

Dawn Primarolo: Since 1 April 2001, 18 WFTC applications have been referred for a full inquiry. Four inquiries resulted in child care being overpaid and the recovery of £4,201.88 of overpaid tax credits.

Equitable Life

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice was given to the Financial Services Authority about the Equitable Life Assurance Society; and when the FSA was given responsibility for the regulation of Equitable Life under the service level agreement dated 18 December 1998. [12822]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the section of chapter 4 of the report of the Financial Services Authority headed "The Inheritance Period". Responsibility for the prudential regulation of the life insurance industry, including Equitable Life, passed to the FSA on 1 January 1999.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he approved the terms and references of the FSA review of the regulation of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. [12821]

Ruth Kelly: The FSA review and its terms of reference were established by the board of the FSA. The terms of reference were published on 22 December 2000.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will instruct the Personal Investment Authority ombudsman to resume investigation of complaints from policyholders of the Equitable Life Assurance Society; and if he will make a statement. [12846]

Ruth Kelly: The service provided by the PIA ombudsman is impartial and independent and the Treasury does not have the power to instruct the PIA ombudsman.

Under the current regime for regulation of investment business, established under the Financial Services Act 1986, the PIA ombudsman provides a complaints resolution service for customers of firms authorised by the PIA, including the Equitable Life Assurance Society. From 1 December 2001, the PIA ombudsman will be replaced by the Financial Ombudsman Service. However, the independence of the ombudsman will remain unchanged.

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons Mr. Ronnie Baird and his team have no access to documents held by Equitable Life or its advisers in preparation of the FSA report on the review of the regulation of the Equitable Life Assurance Society. [12820]

Ruth Kelly: The terms of reference drawn up by the FSA board asked the review team to report on the discharge of its functions by the Financial Services Authority and the Personal Investment Authority. The review team had full access to files held by HM Treasury, the Financial Services Authority and the Government Actuary's Department. The review team did not deem it appropriate or necessary to extend the review to include obtaining access to documents in the possession of Equitable Life or any of its advisers. The report will be an important source of evidence to the independent inquiry being undertaken by Lord Penrose, which will be able to look carefully into the actions of Equitable over the years.

7 Nov 2001 : Column: 255W

Euro Counterfeiting

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Pericles programme will cover euro-counterfeiting in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [12971]

Ruth Kelly: The Pericles programme will cover euro-counterfeiting in all member states, including the United Kingdom.

Counterfeiting of any currency is a serious criminal offence in the United Kingdom. The Government are committed to the principle of protection of the euro against counterfeiting, and to take action to support and supplement anti-counterfeiting measures with appropriate staff training and sharing of information. It is important that the United Kingdom should contribute to efforts to develop and share best practice among member states.

Pensions Mis-selling

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy that penalties imposed by the FSA on insurance companies for mis-selling should be a charge to shareholders and not to with-profits funds; and if he will make a statement. [12843]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to paragraphs 11 and 12 of the Government's response to the Treasury Committee's ninth report 1997–98 session, "The Mis-selling of Personal Pensions", which was published by the Committee as its first special report on 12 January 1998.

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