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Rosyth

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many lorry movements he expects to divert from Hull to Rosyth as a result of his Department's grant assistance for new RO-RO facilities in Rosyth. [103839]

Mr. Jamieson: My Department's grant award to Forth Ports plc, Rosyth was predicated on the substantial environmental benefits which will arise through the saving of over 400,000 long distance lorry movements between Scotland and English ports over the next 10 years. It is estimated that around 40 per cent. of these movements would otherwise have passed through the port of Hull.

Scotland

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans Ministers in the Department have to (a) visit Scotland on official business, (b) announce public appointments and (c) make ministerial announcements in April. [103662]

Mr. Jamieson: Departmental business during the campaign period preceding elections to the Scottish Parliament will be conducted in accordance with the Guidance on Conduct for Civil Servants in UK Departments in respect of elections to the Scottish Parliament and National Assembly for Wales, published by the Cabinet Office on 10 March.

Traffic Estimates

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport why the estimates of traffic in 2000 will not be agreed until May 2003. [103056]

Mr. Jamieson: A re-assessment of the traffic figures, which began in 2002, has been a major exercise, but is now nearing completion. It is expected that the revised estimates for all years will be ready for the next Road Traffic Statistics Quarterly Bulletin due to be published on Thursday 8 May. This will be in accordance with the new National Statistics protocol on Release Practices, which requires the publication of revised estimates as soon as these are available.

TREASURY

Armed Forces (Gratuities)

Mr. Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to tax the gratuity which a member of the Armed Forces receives upon leaving. [103180]

Ruth Kelly: The current pensions simplification consultation document proposes that tax free lump sums paid from pensions schemes will only be available after the minimum age of 55. The Government is considering separately the position of members of the Armed Forces pension scheme in light of this proposal.

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Child/Working Families Tax Credits

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish take-up figures for the child tax credit and the working families tax credit. [102990]

Dawn Primarolo: Statistics on the Child and Working Tax Credit will be published quarterly, beginning in August 2003. The first set of statistics will cover awards at early July 2003.

Foreign Investment

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps has he taken to increase the level of UK private investment in less developed countries. [103522]

John Healey: The Chancellor has supported a range of initiatives to encourage foreign direct investment in developing countries. These include supporting the creation of new Investment Advisory Councils in developing countries which bring together public and private sectors together build a consensus, in the light of regional conditions, on how to secure higher levels of investment.

Additionally, the UK government provides funding through DfID for a joint project between the Commonwealth Business Council (CBC) and New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD). The project aims to encourage the private sector to work with the NEPAD programme of action, and stimulate the increased domestic and foreign investment required for NEPAD to succeed.

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from (a) business groups and (b) development organisations regarding private investment in developing countries. [103523]

John Healey: The Government views the creation of favourable business environments in developing countries as an important driver for growth and development. To this end Ministers regularly meet with a wide range of academics, business leaders and NGOs. Both the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for International Development recently addressed a government sponsored international conference on 'Financing Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and the Private Sector'.

Fuel Tax

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the impact on road traffic levels he estimates would be from (a) a decrease in petrol duty by 5p a litre, (b) a decrease in petrol duty by 10p a litre, (c) an increase in petrol duty by 5p a litre, (d) an increase in petrol duty by 10p a litre, (e) an increase in petrol duty by 20p a litre and (f) an increase in petrol duty by 50p a litre; and what he estimates the change to revenues to the Treasury would be from (a) to (f). [102476]

Mr. Jamieson: I have been asked to reply.

We are unable to estimate the impact on traffic of a change in the duty on petrol alone. The estimated effect of a 5p per litre reduction in duty on both petrol and diesel together, based on provisional traffic data for 2002, is to increase traffic levels by around 5.1 billion

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vehicle kilometres. Similarly, the estimated effect of increasing fuel duties by 5p per litre is to reduce traffic levels by 5.1 billion vehicle kilometres. Successive changes of 5p per litre in fuel duties are estimated to have effects of broadly the same magnitude, although the larger the change the greater the likely error in predicting its effects.

The impacts on revenue can be estimated from Table 6 in "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs", November 2002, published by HM Treasury.

Iraq

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the funding available to the Department for International Development to prepare for the humanitarian consequences of war with Iraq; and what contingency planning he has made to increase the funding available to the Department for International Development for this purpose. [100263]

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much additional funding has been given to the Department for International Development to help it prepare for and respond to the humanitarian consequences of war in Iraq. [102044]

Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funding has been earmarked for humanitarian relief in (a) Iraq and (b) its neighbours. [103943]

Mr. Boateng: The Government have not yet made any firm estimates of the likely costs of humanitarian and reconstruction needs in Iraq if there was to be military action. The UK Government believe that the role of the United Nations and other multilateral institutions will be vital in addressing the reconstruction in Iraq if military action is taken. The UK Government will be fully involved in any humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Iraq, alongside our international partners.

Landfill Tax

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his statement of 3 February, Official Report, column 5WS, on the landfill tax credit scheme, to what extent the transitional funding is adequate to cover all eligible claims for transitional funding in England; and who will decide, and how, which of competing eligible claims receives funding. [103506]

John Healey: As my Statement of 3 February Official Report, column 7WS, made clear, the transitional funding is being administered by Entrust, the regulating body of the landfill tax credit scheme, on behalf of DEFRA. An Independent Assessment Panel decides whether projects in England meet the criteria set out in the Statement. All projects which meet the eligibility criteria will receive transition funding.

Ministerial Travel

Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list internal flights made by Ministers in his Department in 2002, including in each case the (a) cost, (b) departure location and (c) destination; and of these how many were (i) first class, (ii) business class and (iii) economy class. [103581]

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Ruth Kelly: As to flights taken by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 27 February 2003, Official Report, column 694W. With regard to flights taken by other Treasury Ministers, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.

Royal Households

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to ask the Inland Revenue to investigate the remuneration policies of the Royal households. [103824]

Dawn Primarolo: The tax affairs of the Royal Households and their employees are confidential in the same way as those of other taxpayers. Exemption 15 (Statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information applies.

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