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Party Funding

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will introduce plans for state funding for the work of political parties other than campaigning. [51279]

The Prime Minister: The Government have introduced rules on openness and transparency for political funding. There are a wide variety of different views on state funding and I welcome the debate, but at the moment there is no consensus.

The Electoral Commission have already indicated their intention to consider the arguments for a cap on political donations and state funding, and the Select Committee for Transport, Local Government and the Regions have announced that they propose to look at this area.

WALES

National Insurance Contributions

Mr. Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what his estimate is of the cost in a full year of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to his Department; [51976]

(2) what his estimate is of the cost in the next 12 months of the Budget changes to employers' national insurance contributions to his Department. [52070]

Mr. Paul Murphy: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him today by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, at column 544W.

29 Apr 2002 : Column 537W

Solar Panels

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what buildings owned by his Department have solar panels installed. [53491]

Mr. Paul Murphy: None.

TREASURY

Maladministration

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what payments have been made to individuals following findings of maladministration by ombudsmen with responsibility for agencies under the remit of his Department in the last 12 months; and what plans he has to review the powers to increase the level of awards that can be made. [48051]

Mr. Andrew Smith [holding answer 10 April 2002]: No payments were made in 2001–02. I have no plans to review the powers to increase levels of awards.

Illegal Meat Imports

Mr. Alan Reid: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures Customs and Excise are taking to prevent illegal imports of meat; and if he will make a statement. [48176]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 11 April 2002]: BSE related restrictions on the export of beef from the United Kingdom are enforced through portal surveillance measures operated by DEFRA and the devolved Administrations. Customs' role is limited to providing support were necessary to the lead agencies and providing them with any relevant information coming to Customs attention. Export of meat from some endangered species is subject to the European Regulation implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Customs action on any such exports is on an intelligence- led basis.

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many occasions in 2001 customs officers in Newhaven carried out joint operations with environmental health officers with a view to detecting illegal meat imports. [45876]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 25 March 2002]: DEFRA and local or port health authorities are responsible for organising joint operations to target illicit meat. Customs officers participate in such operations at the request of the organising authority. No requests for participation were received at Newhaven in 2001.

Overseas Development Assistance

Dr. Tonge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of GNP has been spent on official overseas development assistance, excluding the UK's contribution to the heavily indebted poor countries scheme in each of the last five years. [51921]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 23 April 2002]: The oda/GNI ratios excluding HIPC for the last five years are:

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Percentage

	oda/GNI ratio
	excluding HIPC	including HIPC
1997	0.26	0.26
1998	0.27	0.27
1999	0.23	0.24
2000	0.31	0.32
2001(5)	0.30	0.32

⁽⁵⁾ Figures for 2001 are provisional

Digital Equipment

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many digital radios are owned by his Department for use in departmental buildings from which Ministers work; and what the (a) cost and (b) date of purchase of each radio was. [52855]

Ruth Kelly [holding answer 26 April 2002]: The Treasury's asset register does not include any digital radios.

Climate Change Levy

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for his projection in Budget 2002, page 217, table C7, of a 50 per cent. increase in revenue from the climate change levy in 2002–03, compared with 2001–02. [52950]

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 26 April 2002]: The apparent growth in climate change levy receipts between 2001–02 and 2002–03 is largely due to start-up effects reducing the cash received in 2001–02.

Climate change levy was introduced on 1 April 2001 and became liable on energy transactions from that date. Start-up effects could have been present up to September and receipts for 2001–02 were £0.6 billion.

Financial year 2002–03 will be the first full year of CCL receipts which are forecast to be £0.9 billion.

Farmers

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what percentage of farmers in receipt of public subsidies are estimated to be millionaires. [51280]

Dawn Primarolo: There were about 356,000 farmers in the United Kingdom in 1999, the latest year for which figures are available. It is not known how many of the 180,000 millionaires in that year were farmers.

Westfield Shopping Centre Company

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the dates since 1 May 1997 when (a) Ministers and (b) officials have met representatives of Westfield. [52165]

Ruth Kelly: Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. I refer to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 689W, stating that as with previous Administrations it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are

29 Apr 2002 : Column 539W

conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and "Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists".

Terrorist Suspects

Mr. Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what additions to the list of terrorist suspects have been made by G7 Finance Ministers at the Washington summit; and if he will make a statement. [53081]

Ruth Kelly: On 20 April 2002, G7 Finance Ministers announced an assets freeze list containing the names of nine individuals and one organisation suspected of being involved in terrorism. These names have since been added to the list of organisations and individuals subject to UN sanctions against the Taliban, Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda and their associates.

Milk

Mr. Peter Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policy on tax treatment of milk quota. [52954]

Dawn Primarolo: Milk quota is treated for tax like other similar assets.

NHS Spending (Scotland)

Mrs. Lait: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Budget report, if he will place in the Library the calculations regarding the allocation of additional spending to Scotland as a consequence of the planned increases in NHS spending in England; and if he will make a statement on the operation of the Barnett formula in these calculations. [52690]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The Government made substantial increased allocations to Scotland in the Budget above existing plans as a result of the increased spending announced for the NHS in England. The annual additions to Scotland's budget in 2003–04 to 2007–08 are £224 million; £858 million; £1,576 million; £2,341 million and £3,201 million. The allocation of additional spending to Scotland as a result of the planned increases in NHS spending in England was determined by applying the Barnett formula, using the latest available ONS population figures. The funding arrangements for the devolved Administrations were set out in the Statement of Funding Policy published by the Treasury in July 2000.

Inheritance Tax

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total yield of inheritance tax was in 2001–02; and what he estimates it will be in 2002–03. [52616]

Mr. Andrew Smith: The figures are contained in Table C7 on page 217 of the 2002 Financial Statement and Budget report, a copy of which is in the Library.

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