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7 Feb 2003 : Column 479W—continued
TREASURY
Child Poverty
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy to reduce child poverty by 25 per cent.between 1998–99 and 2004–05 on an after housing costs basis; and if he will make a statement. [95725]
Ruth Kelly: The Government has a PSA target to reduce the number of children in low-income households by a quarter by 2004–05 compared with 1998–99, as a contribution towards the broader target of halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020. The technical note for this PSA, published on DWP and HMT websites, provides details. Low-income households are defined as those with less than 60 per cent. of contemporary median income. Progress is being measured on both a before housing costs and an after housing costs basis.
Higgs Report
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he intends to implement the findings of the Higgs report; and if he will make a statement. [94340]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
Derek Higgs' recommendations reflect a very thorough consultation process. Most of the recommendations are for changes to the Combined Code. The Financial Reporting Council, which has responsibility for the code, has invited comments by 14 April on the detailed drafting with a view to putting a revised code into effect on 1 July 2003. The Government welcome this. It will then be for listed companies to comply with the new provisions or explain to shareholders why they have not done so.
A group is being formed under the leadership of Professor Laura Tyson, Dean of the London Business School, to consider how to bring to greater prominence candidates who could make an effective contribution to boards of listed companies. The group will report to me in May.
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The City of London Law Society and Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, together with the Association of British Insurers and the British Insurance Brokers' Association, will be developing guidance on directors' and officers' insurance.
Non-Executive Directors
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the timetable for implementation of the recommendations laid out in the Higgs report on non-executive directors. [94630]
Ms Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
Most of the recommendations in Derek Higgs' report are for changes to the Combined Code. Derek Higgs expressed the hope that the changes would be introduced as soon as practically possible, preferably for reporting years starting on or after 1 July 2003. The Financial Reporting Council has invited comments by 14 April on the detailed drafting with a view to putting a revised code into effect on 1 July 2003 as suggested by Derek Higgs. The Government welcome this. It will then be for listed companies to comply with the new provisions or explain to shareholders why they have not done so.
A group of business leaders and others is being formed under the leadership of Professor Laura Tyson, Dean of the London Business School, to consider how to bring to greater prominence candidates who could make an effective contribution to boards of listed companies. The group will report to me in May.
The City of London Law Society and Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, together with the Association of British Insurers and the British Insurance Brokers' Association, will be developing guidance on directors' and officers' insurance.
We will give careful consideration to Derek Higgs' recommendation as regards indemnifying directors in advance against costs of defending proceedings from the company itself, in the context of our wider reform of company law. The Lord Chancellor's Department is promoting active case management, as suggested in the report. We will ensure that the recommendation on considering the checklist in relation to new criminal sanctions on directors is drawn to the attention of those who may consider such legislation.
Other recommendations are directed at individuals or boards or institutional investors. It will be for them to take forward the useful suggestions made.
Public Liability Insurance Premiums
Diana Organ: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average percentage increase in public liability insurance premiums was in 2002–03. [96545]
Ruth Kelly: We are aware of concerns about increases in public liability insurance premiums experienced by firms. Public liability insurance is one element of the fact-finding study on liability insurance that the Office of Fair Trading is currently undertaking. We do not routinely collect data on public liability insurance premiums.
7 Feb 2003 : Column 481W
Telephone Helplines
Mr. Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many telephone helplines are sponsored by his Department; and which of these helplines are charged at (a) national rate, (b) premium rate and (c) local rate. [95712]
John Healey: The Treasury has two telephone helplines: the National Euro Helpline, which appears on the Treasury's euro web site www.euro.gov.uk and is available to the public at the local rate; and an internal incident line for Treasury staff, calls to which are free.
The Inland Revenue has 43 helplines. 28 of these are charged at the local rate, 14 geographically and one is a freephone number. The full list can be found on the Inland Revenue's website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk.
HM Customs and Excise has 12 telephone helplines, nine of which are charged at the national rate, and three at the local rate.
The Office for National Statistics has nine helplines, eight of which are charged at the national rate and one at the local rate. Details are available on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk.
Telephone helplines for National Savings and Investments were outsourced to Siemens Business Services in 1999, following the Public Private Partnership. National Savings and Investments currently has five customer helplines, including a textphone and two local rate business helplines. All customer helplines are free or charged at the local rate.
The Office of Government Commerce has four telephone helplines, three of which are charged at the local rate and one that is a standard central London number. The Royal Mint has 27 telephone helplines, 23 of which are charged at the national rate, three at the local rate, one at freephone rate and none at the premium rate. The Office for National Statistics has nine helplines, eight of which are charged at the national rate and one at the local rate. Details are available on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk.
Telephone helplines for National Savings and Investments were outsourced to Siemens Business Services in 1999, following the Public Private Partnership. National Savings and Investments currently has five customer helplines, including a textphone and two local rate business helplines. All customer helplines are free or charged at the local rate.
The Office of Government Commerce has four telephone helplines, three of which are charged at the local rate and one that is a standard central London number.
The Royal Mint has 27 telephone helplines, 23 of which are charged at thenational rate, three at the local rate, one at freephone rate and none at the premium rate.
7 Feb 2003 : Column 482W
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Departmental Expenditure Limits
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the departmental expenditure limits are in her Department's (a) resource and (b) capital budget for (i) environmental protection, (ii) food, fishing and farming, (iii) land use and rural affairs, (iv) animal health and welfare, (v) operations and service delivery and (vi) executive agencies for (A) 2001–02, (B) 2002–03, (C) 2003–04, (D) 2004–05 and (E) 2005–06. [95910]
Alun Michael: The information for 2001–02 and 2002–03 is as follows:
| 2001–02 | 2002–03 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource | Capital | Resource | Capital | |
| Environmental Protection | 319,463 | 264,569 | 409,767 | 279,685 |
| Food, Farming and Fisheries | 89,059 | 11,373 | 106,949 | 12,014 |
| Land Use and Rural Affairs | 287,615 | 155,784 | 291,060 | 170,993 |
| Animal Health and Welfare | 163,664 | 9,946 | 169,907 | 17,226 |
| Operations and Service Delivery | 477,424 | -115 | 290,643 | 24,368 |
| Executive Agencies | 433,079 | 37,209 | 405,373 | 64,221 |
Budgets for future years have not yet been finalised.
Equine Passports
Mr. Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimates her Department has received of the cost of disposing of horses that (a) might enter the food chain and (b) will not enter the food chain. [93364]
Mr. Morley: The Department has not received any estimates for the cost of disposing of horses via the food chain. Horse carcases that are not intended for human consumption are normally disposed of via knacker yards or hunt kennels. We understand that knacker yard charges are in the region of £100 for animals that are shot and around £140 for injected animals. The cost of disposing of animal carcases via hunt kennels varies from area to area. Many hunts subsidise their service and impose little or no cost.
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