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Debt

22. Phil Hope : To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what arrangements he is proposing to write off the debt of the world's poorest countries. [99483]

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer the Chancellor gave the hon. Member for Gloucester earlier today.

EU Economic Policies

23. Alan Howarth: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the European Union's co-ordinating the economic policies of the member states [99484]

Ruth Kelly: The Government has consistently made clear its support for a prudent interpretation of the Stability and Growth Pact, which takes into account the economic cycle, sustainability and the important role of public investment.

The Government is committed to economic reform in Europe, building on the Lisbon agenda. 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 objectives.

ACT Dividend Credit

24. Mr. Robathan: To ask Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount of extra revenue he has received since 1997 from the abolition of ACT dividend credit. [99485]

Ruth Kelly: I take it that the hon. Gentleman is referring to tax credits paid on dividends received by investors.

When we announced the changes to dividend tax credits in July 1997 we estimated that they would increase revenue by amounts of £2.3 billion in 1997–98, £3.95 billion in 1998–99, and around £51.5 billion each year thereafter.

But it is misleading to look at these figures in isolation. The abolition of payable tax credits was part of a wider package of CT reform that reduced rates of corporation tax and encourages re-investment of profits for growth. These reforms will have partly offset the effects of changes to tax credits.

There has been no estimate made of the Exchequer effects since those Budget forecasts.

Child Trust Fund

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each Government consultation that has included information on the Child Trust Fund. [99028]

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Ruth Kelly: Proposals for the Child Trust Fund (CTF) were first published in April 2001 in the consultation document, Saving and Assets for All. A follow up consultation document, Delivering Saving and Assets, which asked specific questions about the delivery model for the CTF, was published in November 2001. The result of this consultation was published in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report. As part of the consultation launched on 5 February 2003 on the product specifications for the 'stakeholder' products recommended by the Sandier review, the Government is seeking views on whether explicitly linking the CTF to the other products in the Sandier suite would be helpful.

Gold Reserves

Sir Teddy Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the outcome of the policy of instructing the Bank of England to sell gold reserves; and what percentage of total gold reserves have been sold. [99462]

Ruth Kelly: As recommended by the Public Accounts Committee, the Treasury undertook a review of the gold sales programme once it was completed. Copies of the Treasury's "Review of the Sale of Part of the UK Gold Reserves", issued in October 2002, have been placed in the House of Commons' Library. It is also available on the Treasury's website.

As a result of the portfolio restructuring the Government has reduced the United Kingdom's gold holdings from the 715 tonnes (held in May 1999) to 320 tonnes at the end of the programme, a reduction of around 60 per cent. The United Kingdom now holds around 23 per cent of its net reserves in gold.

Government Assets

Mr. Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the total (a) market value and (b) same use value of land and buildings owned by the UK Government; and if he will make a statement. [98378]

Mr. Boateng: The National Asset Register (CM 5221) shows that, at March 2000, the value of land and buildings owned by central government departments and their sponsored bodies in the public sector was £160 billion. Land and buildings are valued in accordance with the relevant UK accounting standards. Further information is available in departmental resource accounts and the accounts of their sponsored bodies.

Government Finance

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his forecasts are for the Government's (a) budget deficit and (b) PSBR, (i) in absolute terms and (ii) as a proportion of GDP, for the next five financial years; whether these will be compliant with the terms and conditions of euro membership and the stability pact; and if he will make a statement. [99600]

Mr. Boateng: Projections of public sector net borrowing as a proportion of GDP and in £ billion for the next five financial years are shown in the 2002 Pre-Budget Report, in Tables B2 and B5 respectively. The public sector net cash requirement, formerly known as

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the public sector borrowing requirement (PSBR), is shown in Table B22 of the 2002 Pre-BudgetReport for 2001–02 and 2002–03.

Table B2 of the 2002 Pre-Budget Report also shows the Treaty measures of deficit and debt used in the excessive deficits procedure. The reference levels of 3 per cent. of GDP for the deficit and 60 per. cent of GDP for gross debt are comfortably achieved throughout the period. The projections are consistent with the Government's prudent interpretation of the Stability and Growth Pact, which takes into account the economic cycle, sustainability and the important role of public investment (as specified in Article 104 of the EC Treaty).

Iraqi Residents (UK)

Mr. Walter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest estimate is of the number of Iraqi nationals resident in the United Kingdom. [99689]

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

Letter from L. Cook to Mr. R. Walter, dated 27 February 2003:

As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the number of Iraqi nationals resident in the United Kingdom. (99689)

The latest available estimate of the number of Iraqi nationals resident in the United Kingdom is 21,000. This estimate is obtained from averaging the results from the Labour Force Survey over the twelve month period ending November 2002 and is subject to sampling error.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Burns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many times since 2001 he has taken flights within his departmental duties in the UK; how many of these were (a) charter flights, (b) first or club class and (c) by helicopter; and who accompanied him on each trip. [95383]

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has taken four flights, including two return flights, within the UK on departmental business since 2001. One of these flights was in club class. He has taken no charter or helicopter flights.

On one occasion he was accompanied by two special advisers, a press officer and a private secretary; on another by a special adviser, a press officer, a private secretary and an official; on one occasion by a special adviser, a press officer and two private secretaries; and on another occasion by a special adviser and two private secretaries. All travel was undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer Written Question 92347 tabled for answer on the named day of 28 January. [98923]

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Ruth Kelly: My Private Secretary provided this information by letter on 17 February in response to an enquiry from the hon. Gentleman. I am placing a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what scientific evidence the UK Government has collated to suggest that amnesic shellfish poisoning in scallops represents a threat to human health. [94154]

Ms Blears: There have been no recorded instances of amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) in humans in the United Kingdom due to the consumption of scallops. However, ASP is a recognised neurotoxin, which has caused severe illness and even death in other countries through consumption of shellfish and is therefore a serious threat to human health.

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when the European Commission intends to respond to the appeal from the Food Standards Agency for a review of the current internationally accepted action level of 20 mg/kg in scallops; and what scientific evidence the Commission has collated to suggest that amnesic shellfish poisoning represents a threat to human health. [94155]

Ms Blears: The Food Standards Agency wrote to the European Commission on the question of the action level, seeking their views on how further research may be taken forward. The Commission has acknowledged receipt of a project proposal for the assessment of scallop portion size as a contribution to the assessment of the risk to consumer health. This proposal will be evaluated and, if considered valid, submitted to the Commission's Scientific Committee for Scrutiny.

The current European Union controls are based on evidence drawn from an incident in Canada which resulted in cases of severe illness and several deaths. Details of this or any ongoing research can be obtained from the Commission's Directorate General SANCO.

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