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24 Feb 2003 : Column 214W—continued

Income Tax (Nottingham)

Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many low earning income tax payers in Nottingham have benefited from the 10 per cent. starting rate of income tax. [98253]

Dawn Primarolo: In Nottingham, it is estimated that 15,000 taxpayers now pay tax at the starting rate of 10 pence. However all income tax payers with taxable earnings will have benefited from the 10 per cent. band.

Independent Financial Advisers

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what research he has commissioned into professional indemnity insurance requirements of independent financial advisers beyond 2003; and if he will make a statement; [99027]

(2) pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, column 602W, on independent financial advisers, if he will make a statement concerning the professional indemnity insurance requirements of independent financial advisers. [998129]

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Authority tell me that they are continuing to monitor the market for professional indemnity insurance for independent financial advisers.

The results of the FSA work to date are set out in their Consultation Paper 169, "Professional Indemnity Insurance for personal investment firms—consultation on rule changes; and discussion of other policy options", which they issued on 3 February 2003.

Practitioners, and others with views, should respond to the FSA consultation.

Iraq

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Defence on (a) the duration of a possible war in the Middle East and (b) its effects on (i) the performance of the UK economy and (ii) the public sector finances. [94401]

Mr. Boateng: The information is as follows:

(a) My Department is in continuous discussion with MOD on a range of issues. These include discussions on military contingency planning. Such planning for events in the Middle East includes the means to avert conflict through the credible threat of force in support of UNSCR 1441 and the weapons inspection process.

(b) The Treasury monitors global developments that affect UK economic performance. An updated assessment of economic prospects, including public finances, will be published in the Budget.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 215W

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what financial provision he has made for the costs of UK participation in military action against Iraq. [98955]

Mr Boateng: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) and my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell) on 20 February.

IT Contracts

Mr. Wyatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and by how much Government Departments have overspent on their IT contracts since 1997. [98124]

Mr. Boateng: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mr. Sayeed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list IT contracts in his Department above £50 million in each of the last 10 years; what the inception date for each system was; when it became fully functional; when it became fully debugged; and what the cost of over-runs has been. [99005]

Ruth Kelly: Of the Chancellor's Departments, only the following have let IT contracts above £50 million in the last 10 years.

1. Inland Revenue

IR currently has major contracts with two strategic technology partners, EDS and Accenture, to provide its IT systems and support, including development and maintenance. It also has a framework contract with Computacenter for the supply of IT equipment and software.

(i) The IT services contract was let to EDS in 1994 for 10 years and is worth £2.4 billion over its lifetime, with an estimated £300 million to £400 million annual expenditure. The contract is input based (i.e. time and materials, not system specific). Its complex charging and price capping mechanism means that details of systems delivered through this contract could be provided only at disproportionate cost.


(ii) The NIRS 2 contract for operational services was awarded to Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in May 1995 with an initial scheduled implementation in February 1997. The third phase of the project, introduced in July 1998, was not signed off as fully functional until April 2000. Compensation of £4.1 million was paid by the supplier for this delay. Significant Government and legislative changes resulted in the NIRS 2 contract being extended in April 2000 and the contract now runs to 2004.

2. HM Customs and Excise

HM Customs and Excise (HMCE) has let only one IT Contract in excess of £50 million in the past 10 years. The contract was awarded to Fujitsu C&E Services Ltd. under the Private Finance Initiative in 1999. The contract is for the provision of an outsourced IT and telephony infrastructure. The inception date was 25 August 1999 (the date the contract was signed). The date when it became fully functional is deemed as 'Transfer of Undertaking', 1 April 2000, when the infrastructure and associated staff were transferred to Fujitsu Customs and Excise Services Ltd. As this is an IT Infrastructure service there was no debugging element and the Transfer of Undertaking date was achieved to target without any overrun.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 216W

Lisbon and Stockholm Objectives

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 February 2003, Official Report, columns 611–13W, on Lisbon and Stockholm objectives, whether officials in his Department expressed an opinion on proposals for reforms of listing rules in such discussions; and if he will make a statement. [99130]

Ruth Kelly: The Financial Services Authority (FSA), in its role as United Kingdom Listings Authority, has sole responsibility for setting the listing rules under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The FSA are currently conducting a review of the listings rules. To help with this process, it has established a consultative committee, made up of representatives of companies and City bodies and institutions. The Treasury is represented on this committee with observer status.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 February 2003, Official Report, columns 609–11W, on Lisbon and Stockholm objectives, whether he will include in the next progress report on developments in European economic reform a section listing the progress made in meeting the Lisbon and Stockholm objectives. [99131]

Ruth Kelly: The progress report on European economic reform, 'Meeting the Challenge; Economic Reform in Europe', was published on 17 February 2003, and describes progress made in meeting the Lisbon and Stockholm objectives.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 February, Official Report, columns 609–11W, on Lisbon and Stockholm Objectives, when he will publish a progress report on developments in European economic reform. [99132]

Ruth Kelly: The progress report on European economic reform, 'Meeting the Challenge; Economic Reform in Europe', was published on 17 February 2003. Copies are available in the Vote Office and the Library of the House.

Meetings

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether minutes of meetings between his Department's officials and representatives from the Isle of Man are published; [98219]

(2) whether meetings between officials for his Department and representatives of Jersey are held on Jersey; [98217]

(3) how often Treasury officials meet representatives from Gibraltar; and whether meetings are held purely when deemed necessary; [98215]

(4) what his Department's policy is regarding consultation with representatives of Guernsey on economic decisions that could potentially affect Guernsey. [98216]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 February 2002, Official Report, columns 114–15W.

24 Feb 2003 : Column 217W

Minimum Wage (Nottingham)

Mr. Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Nottingham, North are on the minimum wage. [98322]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Graham Allen dated 24 February 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of individuals in the Nottingham North parliamentary constituency on the National Minimum Wage (NMW). (98322)

Estimates for Parliamentary Constituencies are not available.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) calculates estimates of the number of jobs paid less than NMW rates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions. A guide to measuring low pay and associated articles and data can be found on the National Statistics website at:

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCl/nugget.asp?lD=188&Pos= 44&ColRank=l&Rank=208.

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