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15 Jul 2003 : Column 208W—continued
Economic Consultancies
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which economic consultancies have been commissioned by HM Treasury in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003; and in each case what the cost was of each consultancy. [123664]
John Healey: Complete information for all the periods requested could be compiled only at disproportionate cost. The following consultancies have been identified from information readily available:
- Taxation of Farming.
Identifying the drivers of regional productivity.
The effects of uncertainty on investment.
Correlation of business cycles in the UK with other major economies.
Shocks that have influenced economic cycles.
Why EU R and D is lower than US levels.
Economic impact of EU enlargement.
Productivity in the EU and the US.
EU/US trade. (Jointly funded study with Dutch Finance Ministry).
Regional Performance.
Analysis for HMT's Productivity in the UK series.
Update the UK's generational accounts.
Britain's relative productivity performance.
New "Green Book" guidance on appraisal and evaluation in central Government.
Relationship between wages, employment and the participation rate.
Team based incentives.
Public service productivity.
Equilibrium exchange rates.
EMU cyclical convergence and shocks.
Exchange rate economics.
Housing market and monetary policy transmissions.
US as a monetary union.
Monetary policy transmission.
Export market performance of OECD countries.
Labour market issues.
Location of financial activity.
Monetary union and trade.
Fiscal stabilisation in EMU.
Impact of EMU on business sectors.
Minimum benchmarks under the EU Treaty and the Stability and Growth Pact.
Policy Frameworks.
Prices and competition in the EU and USA.
Transatlantic Relations (Jointly funded study with the Dutch Finance Ministry).
Trademarks exhaustion.
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EU Advisory Committee
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU advisory committee on value added tax, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110284]
John Healey: The EU Advisory Committee on value added tax consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states. The UK is represented by officials from HM Customs and Excise.
The Committee has met six times since January 2002, on 20 March 2002, 19 June 2002, 20 November 2002, 8 January 2003, 10 March 2003 and 4 June 2003.
The agenda items considered by the Committee related to questions on the application of the Community provisions on value added tax. The Committee has no legal power to take decisions. The Committee's role is to examine the application of the Community provisions on value added tax, and to serve as a forum for an exchange of views in order to reach guidelines on a uniform application of those provisions. Some provisions of EU VAT law require member states to consult the Committee before acting.
EU Committees
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list (a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on excise duties, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110283]
John Healey: The EU Committee on Excise Duties consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states. The UK is represented by officials from HM Customs and Excise.
The Committee has met six times since January 2002. On 16/17 May 2002, 7/8 November 2002 and 3/4 April 2003, it considered questions relating to the interpretation and application of Community provisions on excise duties and procedures. Meetings on 7 October 2002,28/29 November 2002 and 16 December 2002 dealt specifically with the development of the EU computerised system for movement and control of goods subject to excise duty (EMCS).
Under its powers in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EEC, the Committee approved a minor amendment to an existing Commission Decision on the product to be used as a fiscal marker for gas oils and kerosene, as well as the EMCS project management plan. Additionally, the Committee agreed an administrative arrangement for the operation of the electronic early warning information exchange system for intra-EU movements of excise goods.
Accountability and transparency to Parliament is ensured by the regular EU scrutiny process documents which fall within the Scrutiny Terms of Reference are
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deposited within Parliament along with an Explanatory Memorandum for examination by the Scrutiny Committees.
Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
- "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
The Commission is obliged to publish an annual report on the working of the Committees. The latest report (Com (2002)733 final, dated 13/12/02) has been published and was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003.
The UK Government have also encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU Customs Code Committee on counterfeit and pirated goods, the number of times and the dates on which it has met since January 2002, the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, the decisions it has made since January 2002 and the means used to communicate these decisions to the House. [110503]
John Healey: The Customs Code Committee on counterfeit and pirated goods, consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 member states. The UK Government are represented by officials from HM Customs and Excise. Since January 2002 there have been four meetings of the Customs Code Committee (Counterfeiting)—6 March, 3 September, 4 October 2002 and 3 March 2003.
The Customs Code Committee (Counterfeiting) discusses matters relating to intellectual property rights and in particular measures concerning the entry into the community, export, re-export from the community of goods infringing certain intellectual property rights. The main item under discussion by the Committee during the period in question has been a proposal to overhaul these measures and this has now been completed.
Accountability and transparency to Parliament is ensured by the regular EU scrutiny process: documents which fall within the scrutiny terms of reference are deposited within Parliament along with an explanatory memorandum for examination by the Scrutiny Committees.
Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to
- "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".
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The Commission is obliged to publish an annual report on the working of the Committees. The latest report (Com (2002)733 final, dated 13 December 2002) has been published and deposited with both Houses.
The UK Government have also encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
Financial Services (Fines)
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the fines levied against financial services companies in each year since the creation of the Financial Services Authority by (a) company, (b) amount and (c) reason for fine; and if he will make a statement on the use of the money raised from these fines. [125831]
Mr. Boateng: The FSA is a private company, which operates independently from the Government. It has the power to develop its own rules, which have the force of law. and determines, the level of lines that are levied when those rules are breeched.
The Financial Services and Markets Act (Schedule 1) stipulates that any amounts received by the FSA through the levy of fines should be applied for the benefit of authorised persons.
Information on fines levied by the FSA is available from their website.
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