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Sports Clubs

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those sports in which community amateur sports clubs would have difficulty in qualifying for charitable status because they are (a) not considered healthy, (b) considered dangerous and (c) considered too costly. [34339]

Mr. Boateng: Eligibility for charitable status is a matter for the Charity Commission to decide. Sports' representative bodies are working closely with the Charity Commission in the development of guidelines for charitable status.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is of the tax exemptions for the Inland Revenue proposals contained in Promoting Sport in the Community. [34335]

Mr. Boateng: Cost will depend on any finalised tax package and subsequent take-up.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those sports recognised by the Sports Council which are eligible for the Inland Revenue CASC tax concessions. [34340]

Mr. Boateng: The list of sports eligible for any separate Inland Revenue administered tax package would be finalised in due course, when decisions are made as part of the normal Budget process.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is of the tax exemptions for the Charity Commission proposals contained in the consultative paper Promoting Sport in the Community. [34336]

Mr. Boateng: The cost of the Charity Commission decision will depend on take-up by sports clubs. Community amateur sports clubs are able to apply immediately and there have been a significant number of inquiries from sports clubs interested in taking advantage of the new charitable purpose.

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the cost will be of granting mandatory rate relief to community amateur sports clubs as set out in Annexe B in the consultation paper; [34338]

(2) what the cost of granting 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief to community amateur sports clubs based on the criteria set out in Annexe A of Promoting Sport in the Community would be. [34337]

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Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of providing 80 per cent. mandatory relief from business rates for (a) those community amateur sports clubs (CASCs) which achieve charitable status and (b) those CASCs which qualify for his proposed tax relief package. [34509]

Mr. Boateng: The cost of granting 80 per cent. mandatory relief to community amateur sports clubs eligible for charitable status will depend on the take-up of charitable status. 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief is not part of the proposed Inland Revenue tax package set out in Annexe A of the "Promoting Sport in the Community" consultation document.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written responses have been received to the Treasury consultation paper, "Promoting Sport in the Community". [34510]

Mr. Boateng: A number of responses to the consultation document "Promoting Sport in the Community" have been received from a wide range of sports clubs and representative bodies. Views expressed will be considered before decisions on the best way to support community amateur sports clubs are made.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to respond to the consultation document on "Promoting Sport in the Community". [34508]

Mr. Boateng: Decisions on the best way to support community amateur sports clubs that make a positive contribution to their local communities will be made as part of the normal Budget process.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many copies of the Treasury consultation paper, "Promoting Sport in the Community", were (a) printed and (b) circulated. [34511]

Mr. Boateng: 5,000 copies of the "Promoting Sport in the Community" consultation document were printed and it was also available on the Treasury public internet site. The consultation document was circulated to sports clubs and their governing bodies, Sport England and the Central Council of Physical Recreation. Given the diversity of the sector, the Government have been keen for as many interested parties as possible to have the opportunity to respond.

Credit Unions

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the Saving Gateway proposal on credit unions. [34351]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government set out their latest proposals for the Saving Gateway in "Delivering Saving and Assets", published in November 2001. The Government announced their intention to pilot the Saving Gateway in a number of locations, to understand better how the Saving Gateway might work in practice. Many decisions about the operation of the Saving Gateway remain to be taken, so it is not possible to say how it might affect credit unions, although credit unions might be expected to benefit from an increase in awareness and understanding of the benefits of saving. A number of

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credit unions have expressed an interest in being involved in elements of the Saving Gateway, including financial education.

The Government welcome the continued involvement of all interested parties, including credit unions, in the development of the proposals for the Saving Gateway, including responses to "Delivering Saving and Assets for All".

Lost/stolen Property

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [34223]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The information from HM Treasury's database of reported thefts is as follows:

Item	Number
1998
Dictating machines	5
Answerphones	2
Wall clock	1
Briefcase	1
1999
Dictating machine	1
Computer memory chip	1
2000
Desklamps	2
Deutschmarks	100
2001
Computer mouse	1
Pack of Duracell Ultra batteries	1

Our policy is that all thefts and losses, no matter how small, should be reported to security. It is, however, likely that the loss of very low value items will not be reported consistently.

Transport Funding

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he has met the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions since 1 January to discuss funding for the (a) London Underground and (b) Strategic Rail Authority plan published on 14 January 2001; and what the subject of the meetings was. [34644]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials hold meetings with colleagues in other Departments to discuss a variety of issues on a regular basis.

Money Laundering

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) UK banks and (b) banks registered in the UK have signed up for the Wolfsberg AML Principles on money laundering. [34668]

Mr. Andrew Smith: While the Government welcome commitments from private institutions to strengthen their anti-money laundering systems, detailed data on the number of banks who have signed up to the Wolfsberg Principles are not held centrally.

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ADVOCATE-GENERAL

Scotland Office

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General on how many occasions the Scotland Office has been a client of the Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate-General in terms of requests for legal services. [33398]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate- General regularly provides legal advice and other legal services, including the drafting of statutory instruments, to the Scotland Office. Providing legal advice and services is an on-going process and no record is kept of the number of requests for advice or other services.

Devolution

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General if she co-operated with the Scottish Executive with respect to the development of her role under the Scotland Act 1998. [33403]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: There is good communication and co-operation between the Scottish Executive and the Government, including my office, both in the exchange of information the discussion of issues arising under the Scotland Act 1998.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General which UK Government departments she has consulted prior to making a determination as to whether her intervention in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is necessary. [33400]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: Prior to deciding whether or not to intervene in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, or another court, I consult any United Kingdom Government Department which I consider has an interest in the issue under consideration.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General according to which criteria she determines whether her intervention in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is necessary. [33399]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: In my answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1124W, on devolution I explained my approach to intervention in devolution issue cases. Where cases reach the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, intervention may be particularly apt because that is the final authority.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General if she will break down by subject area the 1,300 devolution issue cases that have been intimated to her office since May 1999. [33397]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The number of devolution minutes raising devolution issues intimated to me since May 1999 is 1,480. The figure of 1,375 is the number of devolution issue cases intimated and the reason for the difference is that sometimes a number of minutes relating to the same case are intimated to me. Approximately 85 per cent. of the devolution minutes involve claims of a breach of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights,

8 Feb 2002 : Column 1208W

which concerns the right to a fair trial. These claims involve a range of different legal arguments of varying importance. Article 8, which concerns the right to respect for private and family life, is the next most commonly referred to Article with approximately 5 per cent. of the minutes intimated referring to it. The remainder cover a variety of different issues.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General which parties have a right of audience in devolution issue cases before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. [33401]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The relevant rules relating to both appeals and references are found in Part II of the Judicial Committee (Devolution Issues) Rules Order 1999. In appeals and references from another court Law Officers have an additional right to enter appearance and become a party to proceedings before the Judicial Committee, even when they have not been a party to the original proceedings.

In references from other courts to the Judicial Committee any party to the proceedings in the court making the reference, including a Law Officer who is a party, may participate in the proceedings before the Judicial Committee by entering appearance. In appeals, parties to the original proceedings, including a Law Officer who is a party, have a right to appear before the Judicial Committee. Which of the Law Officers have this right depends on the circumstances as set out in the rules.

In addition, in references by a Law Officer under paragraph 34 of Schedule 6 to the Scotland Act 1998, any other Law Officer may enter appearance and become a respondent to the proceedings.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General with which UK Government Departments she co-operates with respect to the development of her role under the Scotland Act 1998. [33402]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: I co-operate closely with the other United Kingdom Law Officers and with other ministerial colleagues who are concerned with constitutional matters or with particular subject matters under consideration.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General in what special circumstances she would intervene in devolution issue cases as a UK Law Officer in fora other than the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. [33420]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: In my answer of 25 January 2002, Official Report, column 1125W, on devolution, I explained my approach to intervention in devolution issue cases.

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Advocate-General on how many occasions she has met (a) the First Minister, (b) Scottish Executive Ministers, (c) the Lord Advocate, (d) the Solicitor-General for Scotland and (e) the Law Society of Scotland since 20 May 1999. [33396]

The Advocate-General [holding answer 4 February 2002]: Since May 1999 I have had regular meetings with the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General for Scotland and meetings with other Scottish Executive Ministers as appropriate. In addition, I also meet with representatives of the Law Society of Scotland.

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