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7 Nov 2002 : Column 770W—continued

Landfill Tax

Tom Brake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans for landfill tax. [78255]

John Healey: The Government announced in Budget 2002 that we anticipate the need for significant increases to the landfill tax in the medium term and that we will take future decisions on the tax in the light of the report of the Cabinet Office Strategy Unit waste project, which is due to be published later this year.

National Insurance (Women)

Mr. Webb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Minister for Women and the Department of Work and Pensions regarding the position of women who paid national insurance contributions at the reduced rate for married women. [78256]

Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor discusses a wide range of issues with his Cabinet colleagues.

Deprived Communities

Mr. Love: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to sponsor investment and enterprise in deprived communities. [78258]

7 Nov 2002 : Column 771W

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to encouraging enterprise, investment and wealth creation across all regions in Britain.

We believe that enterprise can make a valuable contribution to the regeneration of disadvantaged communities, and bring significant benefits to these communities, such as new sources of employment for local people. In order to ensure that our most disadvantaged communities share in the country's rising prosperity, we have introduced a range of measures to encourage investment and enterprise in these areas. These include the Community Investment Tax Credit, the Bridges Community Development Venture Fund, the Phoenix Fund, and the introduction of an exemption from stamp duty for most property transactions in the 2000 most disadvantaged areas of the UK.

Many of the Government's other policies are contributing to the creation of an environment in which businesses can start and grow in disadvantaged areas, including policies to develop the skills of the workforce, help the unemployed into work and improve the planning regime.

Tax Credits

Mr. Plaskitt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Warwick and Leamington will benefit from the introduction of the working tax credit. [78259]

Dawn Primarolo: 1,829 families in Warwick and Leamington were receiving WFTC or DPTC on 31st May 2002.

The Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, to be introduced in April 2003, are expected to benefit around 6 million families.

Ross Cranston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the implications for levels of social exclusion of any inability of individuals in low income employment to access Tax Credits for the cost of higher level skills training in the information technology sector. [79837]

Dawn Primarolo: The Government recognises that improving the skills of the workforce plays an important part in reducing social exclusion. The financial assistance available to adult learners is being reviewed in the context of the development of the Government's

7 Nov 2002 : Column 772W

Skills Strategy, which will be published next year. In addition, the Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the normal Budget process.

Pensioners

John Robertston: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on measures to raise the standard of living of Britain's poorest pensioners. [78260]

Ruth Kelly: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 9 May 2002 (Official Report, 9 May 2002, column 339 W).

Unemployment (London)

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the 12-month change in the claimant measure of unemployment in London. [78228]

Mr. Boateng: Despite a relatively small rise over the past year, claimant unemployment in London is more than 40 per cent. down since spring 1997.

Tax Residence and Domicile Rules

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of foreign investment in the UK that results from the non-domicile tax rules. [78231]

Dawn Primarolo: My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced on Budget Day that we are reviewing the residence and domicile rules as they affect tax liabilities of individuals. We believe that modernisation of these rules needs to be based on clear principles: the rules should be fair, clear, easy to operate and support the competitiveness of the British economy. As part of the review, various fact-finding exercises will be carried out, drawing on a range of sources.

Private Finance Initiative

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish the full results of the retrospective application of the revised Treasury technical note, How to Account for PFI Transactions; and if he will make a statement. [74125]

Mr. Boateng: The results to date of the retrospective application of the revised Treasury Taskforce Technical Note are set out in the table below. The table shows, for all PFI contracts that were operational by the end of the 2001–02 financial year, the accounting treatment that has been adopted.

Department/ProjectCapital Value #millionStart of operationAccounting Treatment
DCMS
Royal Parks Agency—Pembroke Lodge11997On
British Library—Catering Service11998Off
DETR
Dartford Crossing1801987On
Second Severn Crossing3311990On
A50 DBFO Road211996On
A19 DBFO Road291996On
A40 DBFO Road651996On
A417/419 DBFO Road491996On
A30/35 DBFO Road651996On
A1(M) DBFO Road1281996On
M1/A1 Link DBFO Road2141996On
A13 DBFO Road (Transferred to GLA)1462000Off
Birmingham Northern Relief Road4851992Off
LUL Northern Line Trains4091995Off
LT Prestige (transferred to TfL)1371998Off
QEIICC—Catering31997Off
DoH
Queen Elizabeth Hospital—Woolwich1182001Off
North East London Mental Health NHST—Reprovision and Geriatric Day Centre112002Off
Dartford & Gravesham NHST942000Off
South Buckinghamshire NHST452000On
West Sussex Health & Social Care NHST222000Off
Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital NHST1582001Off
Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham University Hospital172000Off
North Staffordshire Combined NHST192001Off
Calderdale Healthcare NHST—redevelopment of services652001Off
North Durham Healthcare NHST612001Off
DTI
ELGAR—IT service provision301999Off
Re-build of NPL822000Off
DWP
ITSA12000Off
Newpay61999Off
IT Partnership Project1161998Off
Home Office
Parc Prison471999On
Altcourse Prison681999On
Lowdham Grange251998On
Ashfield (Pucklehurst) Prison261999On
Forest Bank Prison452000On
Rye Hill Prison372001On
Dovegate Prison642001On
Inland Revenue
IR Manchester321998Off
IR Glasgow101998Off
IR Edinburgh101998Off
IR St. John's House Bootle122000Off
Newcastle Estates Development163.81999Off
Steps (joint IR with C&E)220 (IR 157 and
C&E 63)2001Off
LCD
Court Service—Probate Records111999Off
Centre Contract
LCD HQ—Libra682001Off
LCD—Aramis401998Off
Court Service—LOCCS201996On
MOD
Attack Helicopter Training Service1652002Off
Defence Helicopter Flying School741998On
Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew1141999Off
Training Facility
Joint Services Command and Staff College932001Married quarters
Off.
Main student/
residential facilities
On
Training, Administration & Financial Management Information
System411998Off
Electronic Messaging Services171998Off
Material Handling Equipment81997Off
Tornado GR4 Simulator622002Off
RAF Cosford/RAF Shawbury Family Quarters152001Off
Central Scotland Family Quarters252001Off
National Assembly for Wales
A55 Llandegai to1121998Off
National Savings
PPP for Operational Services372000Off
Scottish Executive
Skye Bridge241997Off
M6 DBFO1031999Off


7 Nov 2002 : Column 775W

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate by how much public borrowing as a percentage of GDP would have to be raised to cover the capital expenditure of all current and past projects financed through PFI/PPP. [76012]

Mr. Boateng: It is estimated that, by the end of this year, the value of PFI/PPP contracts signed will increase private sector capital expenditure on public services to over #25 billion. Revised estimates are published annually in the Budget and updated during the financial year under arrangements agreed with the National Audit Office.

It is not possible to calculate accurately the increased level of public debt that would be created if these projects were funded instead by the public sector. That would depend on the way in which the project was taken forward. Since the abolition of universal testing, public authorities choose the method of procurement which is best suited to individual projects.


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