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Growth Rate

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he predicts that the Scottish GDP growth rate will match the overall UK GDP growth rate. [59397]

Ruth Kelly: Neither the UK Government nor the Scottish Executive produce GDP forecasts for Scotland, or any other country or region of the UK.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what levels of growth the Scottish GDP would have to attain in 2002–03 to keep pace with the projected EU average. [59396]

Ruth Kelly: The latest EC GDP growth forecast for the EU-15 in 2002 and 2003, as published on 24 April 2002 in 'European Economy—Economic Forecasts Spring 2002' (ref no. 2/2002), was 1.5 per cent. and 2.9 per cent. respectively.

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he devised the UK GDP growth rate that was announced in the Budget. [59395]

Ruth Kelly: The Government's latest forecasts for UK GDP growth are based on a comprehensive assessment of domestic and world economic developments and prospects, as set out in Chapter B of the Financial Statement and Budget Report (HC592). This assessment takes into account a wide range of economic data from official and private sector sources.

23 May 2002 : Column 573W

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the GDP growth rate for Scotland was in each of the last five years for which data was available; what it is projected to be for this year; and if he will make a statement. [59394]

Ruth Kelly: The Scottish Executive produces a constant price index of Scottish Output (Gross Value Added). These data are available on the Scottish Executive website.

Neither the Scottish Executive nor the UK Government produce GDP forecasts for Scotland or any of the other countries and regions of the UK.

National Insurance Fund

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the size of the usable surplus in the national insurance fund; and what restrictions there are on the future use of the fund. [58204]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to the report of the Government Actuary (Cm 5383) published in February 2002. The report estimates the receipts of and payments from the national insurance fund for the years 2001–02 and 2002–03 and the balance in the fund at the start and end of each year. Under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 the national insurance fund can only be spent on contributory benefits and related expenditure, and certain redundancy payments. Any surplus is invested in Government securities.

Offshore Tax Havens

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent research his Department has commissioned on the effects of company offshore tax havens on United Kingdom tax revenue. [58211]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue regularly monitor the effects of other jurisdictions' tax policies on UK tax revenues.

EU Tax Harmonisation

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on tax harmonisation within the European Union. [58814]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government's approach to EU tax issues is based on fair tax competition rather than tax harmonisation.

EU Stability and Growth Pact

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress his Department is making in working with other EU Governments to reform the Stability and Growth Pact; and if he will make a statement. [58811]

Ruth Kelly: The Government support a prudent interpretation of the Stability Pact, which takes into account the impact of the economic cycle, sustainability and the important role of public investment. We continue to discuss this with our EU colleagues.

Equitable Life

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the final report by Lord Penrose into Equitable Life; and if he will make a statement. [57606]

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Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Christchurch (Mr. Chope) on 19 March 2002, Official Report, column 214W.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer under what circumstances special advisers within his Department see draft answers to parliamentary questions; whether they make comments on these; and if he will make a statement. [58806]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 958W.

Bank of England Governor

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he proposes to announce the appointment of the next Governor of the Bank of England; and if he will make a statement. [58800]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 21 March 2002, Official Report, column 523W.

Temporary Staff

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees under contract from temping agencies were working in his Department and how much was spent on temporary staff (a) as a total and (b) as a percentage of the total staffing budget in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [58186]

Ruth Kelly [holding answer 22 May 2002]: The total cost of temp services for the last five financial years along with a comparative percentage of total staffing costs is as follows:

	Temp costs £	Percentage of total staffing costs
1997–98	156,823	0.5
1998–99	462,521	1.4
1999–2000	614,706	1.7
2000–01	929,800	2.4
2001–02	1,012,776	2.4

Actual numbers of staff under contract from temping agencies are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

Mobility Products

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a statutory code of practice governing the sale of mobility products for elderly people. [58021]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

I have agreed to meet Age Concern to discuss their recent report on sales techniques used in selling assistive products. There are however no plans to introduce a statutory code of practice.

23 May 2002 : Column 575W

Job Advertisements

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the job advertisements placed by his Department in the last 12 months specifying where the advertisements were placed and the cost in each case. [39068]

Ms Blears: The information requested is shown in the table. Details of where the advertisements are placed are not centrally recorded. Regional offices and agency recruitment details are not collated centrally.

Senior and specialist posts are advertised nationally and/or in specialist press.

The Department has a robust external recruitment policy which complies with the rules and requirements of "Minister's Rules for Selection", "The Civil Service Order Council", Treasury and equal opportunity and employment protection legislation.

£

Job vacancy	Advertising cost
Admin and secretarial posts	52,885.54
Branch head posts	81,905.87
Business manager posts	16,843.15
Communications specialist posts	69,031.88
Director posts	88,261.90
Economist/analyst posts	51,629.96
Human resource professional posts	13,587.70
Information/librarian specialist posts	4,282.88
Local public service agreement coordinator posts	3,390.56
Management accountant posts	5,710.88
Mental health group manager posts	2,286.93
Policy officer posts	12,192.73
Primary care nursing adviser posts	4,789.76
Pharmaceutical specialist posts	10,262.17
Project manager posts	20,821.26
Researcher posts	12,803.15
Risk management officer and quality inspector posts	15,108.32
Scientific specialist posts	10,211.78
Senior auditor posts	9,486.76
Senior forensic mental health specialist posts	2,670.46
Senior medical officer posts	17,243.81
Senior quality assurance coordinator posts	10,979.32
Social services inspectors posts	14,435.67
Valuing people regional worker posts	3,188.20
Web development manager posts	4,753.49
Total cost	538,764.00

Source:

Department of Health central recruitment data March 2001 to February 2002.

RSV

Dr. Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the (a) effectiveness, (b) cost-effectiveness and (c) affordability of a programme of RSV immunisation for (i) all premature infants before their first or second winter and (ii) infants with a history of, or with, a lung or heart condition. [41473]

Yvette Cooper: The Department of Health has not undertaken a study to assess the cost effectiveness of a programme of respiratory syncytial virus immunisation in premature infants and those with a history of a lung or heart condition. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has considered this and has asked for more information.

23 May 2002 : Column 576W

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