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6 May 2003 : Column 621W—continued

Income Tax Rebate (Armed Forces)

Bob Russell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what representations he has received to give members of HM armed forces serving in the Gulf an income tax rebate; and if he will make a statement; [110188]

(2) if he plans to give an income tax rebate to members of HM armed forces serving in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [110189]

Dawn Primarolo: The longstanding rule—recognised by successive Governments—is that Crown Servants, wherever they are serving, are chargeable to income tax on their Government salaries. We have no plans to change it.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 April, Official Report, column 399W, on imported goods, for each year since the implementation of the EU/Israel Association Agreement, what was the sum value to importers of goods from Israel of the differential between the preferential duty rates applied under the Agreement and the average full duty rate for goods under verification; and if he will list the preferential duty rates on goods imported from Israel in the EU/Israel Association Agreement. [110477]

6 May 2003 : Column 622W

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise have no information on the amount of duty saved as a result of EU/Israel Association Agreement.

The HM Customs and Excise Tariff lists both full and preferential rates of duty. As indicated in my answer on 10 April, a copy of the Tariff has been laid in the Library of the House. While the EU/Israel Association Agreement does specify duty rates, these are set out in terms of exemptions and percentage reductions rather than a list of rates.

National Insurance

Mr. Wray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who will qualify to pay the reduced rate of national insurance; and whether they will qualify for the basic retirement pension. [110770]

Dawn Primarolo: Reduced rate contributions are paid by married women who, prior 11 May 1977, made an election to pay at the reduced rate, and whose election is still valid. Payment of married womens reduced rate contributions do not count towards basic state pension. However, these women will get a basic pension based on their husband's contributions when both have reached state pension age and made claims.

Red Diesel

Norman Baker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the annual sales have been in gallons of red diesel in each year since 1990; and what the annual tax take has been. [111129]

John Healey: Data for inland consumption (in litres) and duty receipts for red diesel can be found in HM customs and Excise Hydrocarbon oils Bulletin under the heading 'Gas Oil', which is published on the Statistical Bulletins page of HM Customs and Excise website at www.uktradeinfo.com.

Quantities released for inland consumption (in gallons) and duty receipts for red diesel are shown in the following table.

Years	Quantities(Millions of Gallons)	Duty Receipts(£ millions)
1990	1,791	86
1991	1,839	103
1992	1,674	102
1993	1,673	114
1994	1,666	118
1995	1,584	155
1996	1,729	180
1997	1,552	178
1998	1,545	194
1999	1,543	209
2000	1,538	217
2001	1,514	215
2002	1,446	206

Resource Accounts

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when each of the resource accounts for

6 May 2003 : Column 623W

2001–02 were published; what the (a) greatest, (b) median and (c) least number of days that elapsed was between each of the resource accounts being laid formally upon the table and made generally available to the public; what the median number of days that elapsed was between each of the resource accounts for (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01 being laid formally upon the table and made generally available to the public; and if he will make a statement. [110360]

6 May 2003 : Column 624W

Mr. Boateng: Under the Government Resource Accounts Act 2000, the Treasury has the statutory responsibility to lay departmental resource accounts before the House of Commons. All accounts for 2001–02 were laid before Parliament by the statutory deadline of 31 January 2002. Departments are responsible for publishing resource accounts. The dates on which Departments' resource accounts for 2001–02 were laid and published are shown in the following table:

2001–02 HC No.	Departments	Laid	Published	Working days between laying and publishing
1198	Armed Forces Pension Scheme—MOD	30 October 2002	30 October 2002	0
295	British Trade International	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
356	Cabinet Office	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
355	Cabinet Office: Civil Superannuation	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
294	Central Office of Information	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
360	Charity Commission	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
181	Crown Estate	18 December 2002	18 December 2002	0
1239	Crown Prosecution Service	30 October 2002	30 October 2002	0
5671(20)	Customs and Excise	11 December 2002	11 December 2002	0
9	DCMS	20 November 2002	20 November 2002	0
47	Defence—MOD	21 November 2002	21 November 2002	0
253	Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs	29 January 2003	28 February 2003	22
363	Department of Health	30 January 2003	17 February 2003	12
1200	Department of National Savings and Investments	23 October 2002	23 October 2002	0
316	Department for Education and Skills	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
341	Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions	30 January 2003	18 February 2003	13
48	DfID	27 November 2002	27 November 2002	0
272	DfID—Superannuation Pensions	22 January 2003	22 January 2003	0
146	Department for Work and Pensions	30 January 2003	07 February 2003	6
280	Department for Trade and Industry	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
1061	ECGD	23 July 2002	23 July 2002	0
324	FCO	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
163	Food Standards Agency	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
284	Forestry Commission	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
285	Forestry Commission Pension Scheme	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
1087	GAD	10 July 2002	11 July 2002	1
168	HM Treasury	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
364	Home Office	31 January 2003	28 March 2003	40
71	Inland Revenue	09 December 2002	09 December 2002	0
365	Intervention Board Executive Agency	30 January 2003	Not yet published	—
314	Lord Chancellors Department	29 January 2003	31 January 2003	2
70	National Investment and Loans Office	27 November 2002	27 November 2002	0
319	NHS Pension Scheme (England and Wales)	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
358	Northern Ireland Court Service	30 January 2003	Not yet published	—
279	Northern Ireland Office	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
1110	Office for National Statistics	22 July 2002	22 July 2002	0
986	Ofgem	26 June 2002	26 June 2002	0
35	Ofsted	27 November 2002	27 November 2002	0
301	Oft	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
46	Oftel	27 November 2002	27 November 2002	0
1182	Ofwat	16 October 2002	16 October 2002	0
1201	Orr	31 October 2002	31 October 2002	0
354	Postal Services Commission	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
325	Privy Council Office	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
11	Public Records Office	18 November 2002	18 November 2002	0
282	Registry of Friendly Societies	30 January 2002	30 January 2002	0
52	Scotland Office	17 December 2002	17 December 2002	0
368	Security and Intelligence Agencies	30 January 2003	05 February 2002	4
366	Royal Mint	30 January 2003	05 February 2003	4
367	Serious Fraud Office	30 January 2003	31 March 2003	42
315	Teachers Pension Scheme	30 January 2003	30 January 2003	0
237	Treasury Solicitors	08 January 2003	08 January 2003	0
292	UK Atomic Energy Authority—DTI	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0
318	Wales Office	29 January 2003	29 January 2003	0

⁽²⁰⁾ The accounts for HM Customs and Excise were presented to Parliament in Command 5671—as recorded in HOC 530.

As at 25 April 2003, that is excluding those Departments which had not published their resource accounts by that date, the greatest, median and least number of working days elapsing between departmental resource accounts for 2001–02 being laid formally upon the table and made generally available to the public are 42, 0 and 0 respectively. There are two accounts for 2001–02 still to be published and the Treasury is following these up with the Departments concerned.

The median number of days which elapsed between each of the departmental resource accounts for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 being laid formally upon the

6 May 2003 : Column 625W

table and made generally available to the public are 21 and 2 respectively (this compares to the median of 1 day for 2000–01 accounts quoted in my predecessor's answer of 30 April 2002, Official Report, column 722W, as a result of further Departments' resource accounts being published after that date).

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