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12 Feb 2003 : Column 755W—continued
Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Customs and Excise has been repaid the VAT bill by the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland identified in the inspector's report published by the Northern Ireland Certification Officer. [96655]
John Healey: HM Customs and Excise are statutorily debarred from disclosing information relating to the tax affairs of individuals or companies. Exemption 15 (statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies.
Landfill Tax
Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what calculation he has made of the impact on jobs of the introduction of the new Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. [97047]
John Healey: The reforms to the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) announced in the 2002 pre-Budget report will involve allocating approximately two-thirds of the funding currently going through the scheme to public spending to encourage sustainable waste management. This reform is intended to deliver a strategic and coherent approach to waste management which, as part of the Government's overall waste strategy, should have a positive impact on the development of waste management industries and related employment in these industries. In order to ensure a smooth transition to the new spending programme, the Government have announced transition funding for waste projects in England which would otherwise have a shortfall between the funding committed through the LTCS and that need to complete planned activity during 2003–04. The Scottish Executive has made a similar announcement regarding projects in Scotland.
London Stock Exchange
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 27 January, Official Report, column 953W, on the London Stock Exchange, what the level of transactions on the London Stock Exchange was between 1999 and 2002 as measured by value in comparison to other major stock exchanges of the world. [96892]
Ruth Kelly: Following are figures for turnover on leading stock exchanges, taken from the statistics section of the World Federation of Exchanges' website (www.world-exchanges.org). The federation cautions that exchanges use different definitions and calculation methods to compile turnover statistics, so the resulting figures are not necessarily directly comparable.
(7) The Euronext group of exchanges was created in 2000.
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Police Authorities
Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to assess the efficiency of police authorities, using the methodology set out in the HMT Public Services Productivity Panel Paper, Improving Police Performance: A New Approach to Measuring Police Efficiency (HMT, April 2000); and if he will make a statement. [95728]
Mr. Denham: The Government announced in the 2002 Spending Review, "2002 Spending Review, New Public Spending Plans 2003–06, July 2002, Cm 5570", that it would publish comparisons of police forces linking resources to performance against key outcomes, including reducing crime and bringing offenders to justice.
The Home Office is moving forward a comprehensive programme designed to assess overall policing performance, called the Policing Performance Assessment Framework.
The approach and methodologies set out in the Her Majesty's Treasury (HMT) Public Services Productivity Panel Paper, "Improving Police Performance: A New Approach to Measuring Police Efficiency (HMT, April 2000)" have been taken into consideration during the development of this programme, which will come to fruition over the next few years.
Basic comparisons of police force performance will be published shortly (in the form of performance radars) and these comparisons will eventually evolve so as to incorporate information on policing efficiency as the Policing Performance Assessment Framework is introduced.
Support Staff
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answers of 31st January, (refs. 90981 and 90982), how many support staff there were in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and if he will make a statement. [95938]
John Healey: In 2001–02 approximately 3,800 staff years were allocated to support functions. Figures for 2002–03 are not yet available.
Tobacco Smuggling
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the target market share of smuggled cigarettes was in financial years (a) 2003–04 and (b) 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [97026]
John Healey: Customs Public Service Agreement and Service Delivery Agreement for 2001 -2004 set targets for the market share of smuggling cigarettes to be no more than 20 per cent. in 2003–04 and 18 per cent. in
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2004–05. Further details can be found in Customs Spring Reports for 2000–2001 and 2002, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.
CABINET OFFICE
Government Car Service
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how many chauffeurs are employed by the Government Car Service; and what the ratio is of chauffeurs to cars held in the car pool; [94990]
- (2) what the total mileage as contained in log sheets supplied by Government Car Service drivers is for the most recent month for which figures are available, broken down by Department; [94995]
(3) how many cars there have been in the Government Car Service pool in each year since 1997; who has access to them; and what the average engine size of the cars was in each year since 1997. [94991]
Mr. Alexander: The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to the hon. Member. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
PRIME MINISTER
Departmental Consultations
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list consultations his Office has conducted since 1997; and when each consultation (a) opened and (b) closed. [97419]
The Prime Minister: My Office has not published any consultation documents.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Civil Servants (Private Sector Appointments)
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the cases in the last 10 years where senior civil servants have been granted clearance to accept private sector appointments. [96653]
Jane Kennedy: The Northern Ireland Office has granted permission in one case, in the last 10 years, for a senior civil servant to accept a private sector appointment.
Within the Northern Ireland Administration the information sought is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. To compile the necessary information would require scrutiny of the personal files of all current members of the Senior Civil Service and those who have retired or resigned over the last 10 years.
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Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what procedures are in place regarding civil servants from Northern Ireland accepting private sector appointments on their retirement. [96654]
Jane Kennedy: The procedures governing the acceptance of business appointments by civil servants are set out in the Northern Ireland Civil Service Pay and Conditions of Service Code, paragraphs 914–942 and in the Northern Ireland Office staff handbook Guidance on Conditions of Service for HCS chapter 20, page 111–113. These procedures apply to the acceptance of appointments within business and other bodies. These sections of the Code and the staff handbook are currently under review.
I have placed copies of the relevant sections of the staff handbooks referred to in the Library.
Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland
Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were (a) formally interviewed, (b) cautioned and (c) charged in relation to the allegation of invoice fraud made in the Certification Officer Inspector's report on the Hospitality Association of Northern Ireland. [96656]
Jane Kennedy: Two persons were formally interviewed under caution by the police in June 1999 in connection with alleged false invoicing. Neither was formally cautioned or charged.
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