| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
National Insurance
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the need to review the tax system in regard to national insurance contributions lost owing to false self-employment claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement. [63098]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
I would like to clarify the relationship between the CIS and employment status. The CIS sets out how payments to self-employed sub-contractors should be treated.
As in all industries, whether a worker is categorised as employed or self-employed depends entirely on the terms and conditions under which they are engaged. The fact that a worker is registered under the CIS and is in possession of a certificate or registration card does not of itself confer self-employed status on that individual. It is entirely possible for workers to be employed on one contract, and self-employed on another.
20 Jun 2002 : Column 468W
Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures are being taken to address organised avoidance of national insurance payments through false claims on CIS4 tax certificates; and if she will make a statement. [63103]
Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
The Construction Industry Scheme (CIS) sets out how payments to self-employed sub-contractors should be treated. It is anti-tax evasion legislation and it has successfully identified workers who had previously not declared their earnings to the Inland Revenue.
Where a person works as a sub-contractor on a contract to which the CIS applies, they must register with the Inland Revenue. Where a sub-contractor does not qualify for a certificate allowing him/her to be paid gross, they will receive a CIS4 registration card. They will then be paid for work done after a deduction on account of tax and national insurance.
The tax and national insurance rules, which distinguish the employed from the self-employed, are intended to apply to all workers. As part of its compliance strategy the Inland Revenue's local employer compliance review teams consider employment status issues when undertaking reviews to ensure employers and contractors comply with their tax and national insurance obligations.
Haulage Industry
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact the use of illegally produced fuel is having on competitiveness within the UK haulage industry. [62948]
John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
As part of Customs' consultation on proposals for tackling oils fraud, the industry was invited to comment upon, and quantify, the impact on competitiveness resulting from the unfair advantage gained by those misusing rebated fuel. Although the responses clearly indicated an impact, no quantification was provided. Copies of the consultation document "Tackling the misuse of rebated fuels: Proposals for an approval scheme for distributors" and the response "Oils Fraud Strategy: Summary of Consultation Responses and Regulatory Impact Assessment" have been placed in the House Libraries.
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Committee Mandates
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Specialist Products is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61716]
Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Specialist Products is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with
20 Jun 2002 : Column 469W
social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for wine-growing, spirit drinks, olives and derived products, beekeeping, hops and tobacco. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to the UK public funds.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Arable Crops is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61720]
Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Arable Crops is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for arable crops. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Plants is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61694]
Mr. Morley: The mandate for the Scientific Committee on Plants is as follows:
- "Scientific and technical questions relating to plants intended for human or animal consumption, production or processing of non-food products as regards characteristics liable to affect human or animal health or the environment, including the use of pesticides".
The SCP is particularly concerned with scientific evaluation relating to genetically modified organisms and pesticides.
Experts from the UK are currently Prof. Anthony R. Hardy (chairman), Central Science Laboratory; Prof. Howard V. Davies, Scottish Crop Research Institute; and Dr. Tom Sherratt (University of Durham). There are also a number of expert working groups under the SCP to which ad hoc experts are invited to contribute as appropriate.
The UK does not contribute directly to the costs of the SCP. I have no information on the annual cost of the committee to the European Commission.
The items currently under the SCP's consideration can be viewed on its website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/ food/fs/sc/scp/index—en.html.
The committee is currently accountable through the European Commission (administered by the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General) through to the European Council and Parliament. Regulation 178/2002 established the European Food Safety Authority and later this year this committee's responsibilities will be transferred to two new panels (the Panel on Plant Health,
20 Jun 2002 : Column 470W
Plant Production Products and their Residues, and the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms) operating within the authority. Members of the new panels will remain to be appointed in an independent role and for their individual expertise.
The SCP's agendas and outcome of its discussions (opinions and minutes) are available on its website.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Advisory Committee on Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61717]
Mr. Morley: The Advisory Committee on Fruit, Vegetables and Flowers is a consultative committee of the European Commission. Its purpose is to facilitate consultation with social and occupational groups with an interest in the EU regimes for fruit, vegetables and flowers. It is not attended by officials of Her Majesty's Government and does not give rise to costs to UK public funds.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the mandate of the Scientific Committee on Designations of Origin, Geographical Indications and Certificates of Specific Character is; how many times it has met over the last 12 months; what the UK representation on it is; what the annual cost of its work is to public funds; if she will list the items currently under its consideration; if she will take steps to increase its accountability and transparency to Parliament; and if she will make a statement. [61723]
Mr. Morley: The mandate of the Scientific Committee Designations of Origin, Geographical Indications and Certificates of Specific Character is set out in Commission Decision 95/53/EEC. The committee exists to provide expert advice to assist the European Commission in its consideration of applications concerning the registration of designations of origin, geographical indications and certificates of specific character.
There is no UK representation on the Scientific Committee. While one member of the current committee is British, he does not sit as a UK national, but is, like all the members, a qualified expert with a legal or agricultural background. The commission pays the travel and lodging costs of members. The Scientific Committee has met four times over the last 12-month period although in some previous years it has met more frequently than this. Items currently under its consideration are 'Galician mussels', 'traditional grass-fed red poll beef' and an Italian milk product from the Apennines.
Regarding transparency and accountability, the commission, together with member states, is currently conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
- "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the commission".
As an obligation to this decision, the commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of committees, including the Scientific Committee. The first
20 Jun 2002 : Column 471W
- report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 26 February (Com (2001) 783 Final). As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be available through its website.
Mr. Bob Ainsworth: I have been asked to reply.
Article 22 (3) of European Directive 86/609/EEC (on the approximation of laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the member states regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and other scientific purposes) provides for the commission to establish
- "a permanent consultative committee within which the member states would be represented, which will assist the Commission in organising the exchange of appropriate information, while respecting the requirements of confidentiality, and which will also assist the Commission in the other questions raised by the application of this directive."
The Commission made a decision on 9 February 1990 (90/67/EEC) for setting up the Advisory Committee on the Protection of Animals for Experimental and Other Scientific Purposes under article 22 of the directive, including provision for representation and working methods. However, the committee has never been established. The Commission has recently made a recommendation for the directive to be revised. In its initial comments on what amendments might be considered, the United Kingdom has suggested that the Commission should consider either dispensing with or establishing the Advisory Committee.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |