| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
25 Mar 2003 : Column 130W—continued
Employment Status Definition
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to secure a common definition of employment status for tax, national insurance, tax credit and VAT purposes. [104725]
Dawn Primarolo: There is no statutory definition of employment or self-employment for income tax, national insurance, tax credits or VAT. The courts have considered the question on many occasions and have indicated the kind of factors which need to be taken into account in deciding whether a particular engagement is one of employment or self-employment. The common
25 Mar 2003 : Column 131W
thread running through the case law is that no single factor is conclusive; for each engagement the whole picture needs to be looked at in the light of all the facts.
The Inland Revenue interprets the courts' views consistently for the purposes of determining employment status for tax, national insurance and tax credits. Where the Inland Revenue has advised on a person's status that determination will usually apply for all three purposes. Customs and Excise generally follow the same interpretation and thus a consistent determination would apply for VAT purposes also.
Euro
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what economic studies have been undertaken of the potential effect on the economy of (a) Jersey, (b) Guernsey, (c) Gibraltar and (d) the Isle of Man, of monetary integration with the European Union. [104792]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to my answers to him on 25 February 2003, Official Report, column 383W, and 11 March 2003, Official Report, column 126W.
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the issue of Single European Currency has been discussed during meetings between government officials and representatives of Guernsey. [104879]
Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 11 February 2002, Official Report, columns 104–105W.
Health Inspectorates
Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relationship between his Department and the (a) Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and (b) Commission for Social Care Inspection. [104209]
Mr. Boateng: The Chancellor announced the creation of two new independent inspectorates for health and social care in his budget statement 2002. The Commission for Healthcare Audit and Inspection and the Commission for Social Care Inspection will be established as non-departmental public bodies, independent of ministers, operating at arms length from the Government. They will each have a duty to report annually to Parliament on the state of health and social care. These independent assessments will strengthen public accountability and provide annual benchmarks of the quality of health and social care provision, and of the effectiveness of investment in public services.
Landfill Tax
Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the landfill tax credit scheme funded projects in the Bury St. Edmunds constituency. [104822]
John Healey: Details of projects funded by the scheme are available from the scheme's regulator, ENTRUST whose address is as follows.
25 Mar 2003 : Column 132W
- ENTRUST Ltd.
I have asked ENTRUST to write to the hon. Member with a response to his question.
National Insurance Contributions
Ms Atherton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what special arrangements are in place for the payment of national insurance contributions for supermarket employees. [104439]
Dawn Primarolo: No special arrangements are in place for the payment of national insurance contributions (NICs) for supermarket employees. Like all employees, their employer deducts NICs from earnings of £89 or more. These contributions are paid to the Inland Revenue and recorded on the individual's national insurance account, providing entitlement to state pension and other contributory benefits.
Split Capital Investment Trusts
Mr. Simmonds: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to investigate mis-selling of split capital investment trusts; and what compensation is available for those who have been affected. [104730]
Ruth Kelly: The FSA has said that it is investigating allegations about both misleading marketing of split capital investment trusts and possible collusion between parties involved in this sector.
Anyone who thinks they may have been affected by mis-selling should make a complaint to the authorised firm concerned. The firm will consider the complaint and may offer compensation. If the complainant is dissatisfied with the firm's response he or she may be eligible to take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The Ombudsman can order firms to pay compensation if he finds that the customer was treated unfairly.
Subsidiarity
Mr. Cash: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement as to the legal basis for his policy to repatriate regional funds and policies from the EU to the UK. [104984]
Ruth Kelly: The European Community does not have exclusive competence for economic and social cohesion. As a result, under the rule of subsidiarity, the Community's actions in this area should be limited to what cannot sufficiently be achieved by the member states. The principle of subsidiarity is set out in Article 5 of the Treaty establishing the European Community. EU regional funding and policies under the EU Framework for Devolved Regional Policy as proposed in the Government's paper "A Modern Regional Policy for the United Kingdom" would have a legal base in Article 161 and other relevant articles of the same Treaty.
25 Mar 2003 : Column 133W
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Departmental Travel
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list internal flights made by Ministers in her 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. [103585]
Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
I also refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply to the hon. Member for Chelmsford, West (Mr. Burns) on 11 February 2003, Official Report, column 645W.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in 2002; and what the (a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was. [101841]
Margaret Beckett: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003, Official Report, column 334W.
Imported Chicken Products
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance is issued by her Department regarding the import of chicken that has previously been frozen; what percentage of chicken products imported into this country she estimates have been previously frozen on slaughter; and what the health and safety risks of consuming previously frozen chicken are. [103508]
Ms Blears: I have been asked to reply.
I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that the import of chicken from countries outside the European Union is covered by detailed legal requirements. Chicken must be slaughtered and processed in countries and premises that meet strict food safety standards at least equivalent to those required within the EU. This includes temperature control requirements. Chicken can only be imported into the EU through designated border inspection posts following prior notification and is subject to documentary and identity checks and prescribed levels of physical checks. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has responsibility for this legislation and for any guidance issued.
Chicken produced in other EU member states can be traded freely with other member states and is not subject to routine checks at United Kingdom ports.
All food on sale, including imports, may be subject to food safety checks by local authorities.
25 Mar 2003 : Column 134W
In 2001, 45 per cent. of UK imports of poultry meat from non-EU countries was frozen poultry carcass meat (source: Her Majesty's Customs and Excise).
Frozen poultry meat may be contaminated with food-borne pathogens, such as salmonella and campylobacter, as a recent government survey of poultry meat on retail sale in the UK showed. Therefore it is important for consumers to be aware of the advice on safe storage, handling and preparation of raw poultry meat.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |