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Capital Gains Tax

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the yield from capital gains tax in each of the years (a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000, (e) 2000–01, (f) 2001–02, (g) 2002–03 (estimated) and (h) 2003–04 (estimated); and if he will make a statement. [48804]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 6 December 2001, Official Report, column 520W. An estimate for 2003–04 has not been published.

Smart Card Technology

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the use of smart card technology in his Department and in the areas for which it is responsible; and what discussions he has had with private companies about the use of smart card technology within his Department. [50477]

Ruth Kelly: Smart card technology will be used in the new Treasury building as part of the access control mechanisms, and for "cashless" purchase of catering and vending services. The technology is being provided by Exchequer Partnership as part of the PFI contract for the new building. There have been no direct discussions between the Treasury and the technology supplier.

More widely, in March 2002, the Treasury implemented two European directives on electronic money, which bring it within the scope of Financial Services Authority regulation. The directives aim to encourage the development of electronic money, in part through increasing business and consumer confidence in it as a new and developing means of payment.

The Treasury is also represented on a working group looking at Government policy towards smart card technology, chaired by the Office of the e-Envoy.

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Public Sector Pay

Mr. Wray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by how much public sector pay has increased since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [49679]

Mr. Andrew Smith: Public sector pay has increased by 17.7 per cent. between 1997 and 2001.

Private Finance Initiative

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Stockport IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49498]

Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Stockport IR Office Private Finance Initiative is £0.2 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the National Insurance Recording Systems for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49502]

Dawn Primarolo: The potential savings identified, at the business case stage, of a PFI approach over a traditional procurement for NIRS2, were estimated at £101.7 million. The calculations were based on the traditional procurement approach in place in the Department of Social Security at the time the contract was awarded in April 1995.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Edinburgh IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49501]

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Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Edinburgh IR Office Private Finance Initiative is £0.5 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Bootle St. John's House (IR) for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49497]

Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Bootle IR Office Private Finance Initiative is £1.7 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate she has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the CCTA Metropolitan Telecoms Service by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49665]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The MTS PFI contract was awarded in November 1996 for a 10-year period. At the time of contract award, a detailed comparison of the PFI bid was carried out against a public sector delivery option. That comparison suggested little difference in the overall cost of the two approaches, but the PFI option was chosen as providing greater flexibility and better risk management. This has been borne out in practice as the range of services and number of users has increased over the life of the contract to date.

Since 1996 the unit costs of service provision through the contract, as with all telecommunications costs, have fallen in comparison with those modelled in the Public Sector Comparator. However the costs in the PSC have not themselves been updated so that a meaningful comparison is not possible.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for Glasgow IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49500]

Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Glasgow IR Office Private Finance Initiative is £1.3 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative contract for the Newcastle Estate Development Scheme for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49496]

Dawn Primarolo: No public sector comparator was undertaken for this project. Assurance that the Department was achieving value for money was obtained through a competitive tender process. The decision not to undertake a full Public Sector Comparator was consistent with Treasury guidance at that time.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total savings to public funds of the Private Finance Initiative

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contract for Manchester IR Office for the Inland Revenue by comparison with a non-Private Finance Initiative alternative. [49499]

Dawn Primarolo: The estimate of the total savings to public funds of the Manchester IR Office Private Finance Initiative is £0.7 million Net Present Costs by comparison with the Public Sector Comparator.

Money Laundering

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what (a) legislation and (b) other measures he is considering in respect of those countries which fail to meet the OECD's deadline for reform in order to comply with anti-money laundering requirements; and if he will make a statement. [48887]

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Action Task Force has issued a list of countries that have been found not to be compliant with international anti-money laundering standards. In common with other FATF members, the UK has issued an advisory to all UK financial institutions warning them to pay particular attention to all transactions involving natural or legal persons resident or domiciled in listed jurisdictions. The Joint Money Laundering Steering Group, an industry body issuing good practice advice on money laundering, has issued advice that has been agreed with HM Treasury as appendix D to its guidance notes to the financial sector. This advice is available on the internet at www.jmlsg.org.uk. Where FATF has agreed that further countermeasures should be applied because insufficient progress has been made, the Government have issued further advice to the financial sector and more generally. To date, only Nauru has been subject to such additional countermeasures. The measures agreed by FATF are:

(a) stringent requirements for identifying clients are enhancement of advisories, including jurisdiction-specific financial advisories, to financial institutions for identification of the beneficial owners before business relationships are established with individuals or companies from these countries;

(b) enhanced relevant reporting mechanisms or systematic reporting of financial transactions on the basis that financial transactions with such countries are more likely to be suspicious;

(c) in considering requests for approving the establishment in FATF member countries of subsidiaries or branches or representative offices of banks, taking into account the fact that the relevant bank is from an NCCT;

(d) warning non-financial sector businesses that transactions with entities within the NCCTs might run the risk of money laundering.

A copy of the further advice on Nauru is also available from the JMLSG and Treasury websites.

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