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TREASURY

Banking Services (Teenagers)

Mr. Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research he has (a) conducted and (b) evaluated on the availability of (i) insurance and (ii) banking services to teenagers recovering from cancer. [107703]

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has not conducted or evaluated such research.

Blood Products

Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to bring the level of VAT on recombinant blood products in line with that in other European countries. [107589]

John Healey: Along with other EU member states, the UK exempts from VAT human blood, and human blood components and derivatives when these are used for therapeutic purposes. Synthetic 'blood' products, such as those that are genetically engineered, are not exempt from VAT because of long-standing formal agreements with our European partners. Some recombinant blood products are therefore liable to VAT at the standard rate. However, when dispensed to a patient by a pharmacist on the prescription of a medical practitioner, recombinant blood products are zero-rated for VAT.

The European Commission and member states, including the UK, have considered whether the exemption for human blood products should be extended to cover chemically-produced derivatives and

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synthetic blood products. The European Commission has not yet brought forward proposals for change in this area.

Communications Data

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 178W, on data access powers, how many applications for access to communications data there have been by (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) Customs and Excise, broken down by each piece of legislation (i) in the last year and (ii) since the enactment of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. [101022]

Dawn Primarolo: The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 has not yet come into force in relation to access to communications data by the Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise.

In relation to the Data Protection Act 1998, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 17 October 2002, Official Report, column 938W.

The Inland Revenue do not maintain specific records of access to communications data being sought under other legislation. In the year from 1 April 2002, the number of applications for access to communications data by HM Customs and Excise under other legislation is as follows:

Legislation	Number of applications
VAT Act 1994, s.11	18
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, s.1	12
Drugs Trafficking Act 1994, s.55	33
Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s.118D	22
Criminal Justice Act 1988, s.93H	1

Customs and Excise

Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will meet the wine, spirit and beer sector to discuss the future application of HM Customs and Excise throughput rules for bonded warehouses; [106043]

(2) what assessment he has made of the impact the bonded warehouse throughput rules will have on small and specialist wine distributors across the UK; [106039]

(3) if he will require HM Customs and Excise to incorporate risk analysis and discretionary assessments into the decision-making process authorising bonded warehouses; [106041]

(4) what effect the new guidelines for HM Customs and Excise rules on throughput criteria for bonded warehouses will have on the licensed trades industry; [106038]

(5) if he will have discussions with the Chief Executive of Customs and Excise concerning the impact of bonded warehouse throughput rules on small and specialist wine distributors across the UK; [106040]

(6) what representations he has received from wine and beer suppliers regarding Customs and Excise application of bonded warehouse throughput rules; [106044]

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(7) how many compliant businesses will be affected by HM Customs and Excise requirement to uncouple physically a shop selling duty paid goods from a bond maturing wines held in duty suspense. [106042]

John Healey: In line with its wider approach to keeping burdens on business to a minimum, the Government seek to ensure that regulatory requirements on the alcohol trade are fair and proportionate, offering as much flexibility to businesses as possible while preventing unacceptable revenue losses.

The law endows Customs and Excise with the ability to exercise discretion over approvals of excise warehouses, and requires them to deploy that discretion in a fair, equitable and reasonable way. Customs have a responsibility to businesses to ensure consistency of treatment. To this end, they have developed and published a policy on the types of premises to which they would normally grant approval. One of the conditions for approval under this policy is that businesses must meet laid-down minimum throughput criteria, which have been in place since 1980, and which were converted into the current monetary criteria in 1996. There are, therefore, no new guidelines on throughput criteria for excise warehouses.

These criteria help ensure that a fair balance is struck between facilitating the trade in allowing traders to store goods in duty suspense, and minimising the cost to the Exchequer of allowing duty to be deferred after production or importation of excise goods, and the cost of controlling these premises. Without throughput criteria, any off-licence, tobacconist or supermarket would be eligible for excise warehouse approval and would be able to store its stock without payment of duty up until the time it was removed to its shop shelves. This would increase costs for Customs in assuring and collecting the duty from such a large number of warehouses, would delay the duty point with a consequent effect on revenue cash-flow, and would potentially provide unacceptably widespread opportunities for alcohol fraud.

To support this approach, a further condition was introduced which established that premises used for a retail business could not also be an excise warehouse. Details of this were published in the January 1996 edition of Customs' public notice on warehousing and duty suspension.

As the Minister responsible for Customs and Excise, I have regular meetings with their Chairman and other Senior Managers. Ministers and officials meet representatives of the alcoholic drinks industries on a regular basis to discuss a wide range of issues affecting the sector, including their Budget representations. I have also recently received one letter containing representations about the effect of the throughput criteria on one wine trader.

Data Protection

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether officials from (a) the Inland Revenue and (b) HM Customs and Excise who have access to records relating to electronic contacts between individuals have access to the content of such contacts; under what powers in (i) the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act

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2000 and (ii) other legislation access is permitted; how many requests for access were made in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [104521]

Dawn Primarolo: Although the Inland Revenue will have access to communications data under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (RIPA) 2000, that access will not extend to the contents of communications, whether electronic or otherwise. Under the Taxes Management Act 1970, in criminal investigations the courts can issue warrants and make orders that give the Inland Revenue access to evidence which may include the contents of electronic communications. The number of cases in which the contents of electronic communications were made available to the Inland Revenue as part of wider evidence gathered is not known as separate records are not kept on this specific issue.

HM Customs and Excise, in the 12 months to date, have accessed the 'electronic contacts' of an arrested person by virtue of Production Orders under three pieces of legislation. There have been 12 orders raised against 19 accounts as follows:

Legislation	Number of times accessed
Drugs Trafficking Act 1994, s.55	10
Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1982	1
Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s.118D(1)	1

Departmental Pay

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made with the pay review in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible, with particular reference to the gender pay gap; and if he will make a statement. [106753]

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor's Departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies are committed to reviewing their pay systems in response to the Equal Opportunities Commission Task Force "Just Pay" report. Their progress in reviewing pay systems and preparing action plans in line with the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office is as follows:

HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue have completed pay reviews.


The Debt Management Office, the Office of Government Commerce, the Government Actuary's Department, the Royal Mint, National Savings and Investments, and the Valuation Office Agency will complete their pay reviews by the end of April.


HM Treasury's equal pay review is progressing and the Office for National Statistics expects to report by the end of May.

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