| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
1 Sept 2003 : Column 889W—continued
Financial Services Authority
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the procedures for reviewing the Financial Services Authority's rule making (a) powers and (b) decisions. [126656]
Mr. Boateng: The main procedures for reviewing Financial Service Authority rules, as set out by the Financial Services and Markets Act (2000) (section 155), are the requirements for public consultation prior to the exercise of a rule-making power and completion of a cost-benefit analysis.
The main mechanism for reviewing decisions made by the FSA is the right of an aggrieved party to refer decisions to the independent Financial Services and Markets Tribunal.
Gangmasters
Mr. Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department is taking to investigate fraudulent activities by gangmasters, with particular reference to loss of (a) income tax, (b) value added tax, (c) national insurance and (d) other revenues. [126733]
Mr. Luff: Inland Revenue and HM Customs & Excise are participators in a multi-agency initiative to tackle non-compliance and illegal activity by gangmasters. The other agencies involved are the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
During 2002–03 two Inland Revenue specialist units settled 46 gangmaster investigations resulting in additional tax and National Insurance liabilities in excess of £4.3 million being identified. HM Customs and Excise is also looking at the activities of labour providers, particularly agricultural gangmasters, bringing together specialists to deal with education, support and compliance. In the last 18 months Customs has identified £5.9 million in arrears from 14 investigations into fraudulent evasion of VAT.
Iraq
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the size was of the bilateral debt owed by Iraq to the UK, which was reported to the (a) US Treasury and (b) the Paris Club; and what the value is of the frozen assets of the previous regime in Iraq under UK management. [122777]
John Healey [holding answer 30 June 2003]: As part of the exercise to establish the extent of Iraq's external debt, the Paris Club has been advised that unrecovered
1 Sept 2003 : Column 890W
ECGD claims amount to some £625 million, plus an estimated interest accruing over the past 12 years of around £525 million.
Until the recent lifting of sanctions under UNSCR 1483, a total of US $648 million was estimated to be frozen in the UK under the Iraq (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2000. Under the terms of the Iraq (United Nations Sanctions) Order 2003, only the assets of Saddam Hussein, his associates and certain entities of the former regime remain frozen. If such assets are located in UK financial institutions, they may be subject to prior claims. As a result it is not possible at this stage to estimate what amounts will eventually be held by UK financial institutions. However the terms of UNSCR 1483 require all remaining assets associated with Saddam's regime to be transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq.
IT Systems
Dr. Pugh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Treasury spent on IT (a) software, (b) hardware, (c) maintenance and (d) licences in 2002–03. [124419]
John Healey: During the 2002–03 financial year, HM Treasury has incurred expenditure on information technology to the following values:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| (a) Software | 444,431 |
| (b) Hardware | 4,072,438 |
| (c) Maintenance | 39,217 |
| (d) Licences | 377,708 |
Post Office Card Accounts
Mr. Heald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make additional funds available to the Department for Work and Pensions to cover an increase in the number of Post Office Card Accounts opened above the Government's estimates; whether he plans that the cost of accounts above the estimate will be met from within the Department's existing expenditure plans; and if he will make a statement. [125334]
Mr. Boateng: Provision was made in the Department for Work and Pensions 2002 Spending Review settlement for additional funding to be made available if card account numbers exceed the planning assumption.
Royal Protection
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer from which departmental budget the costs of (a) the Yeomen of the Queen's Bodyguard and (b) the Gentlemen at Arms are paid; and what the budget was in each of the last 10 years. [124638]
John Healey: Until 31 March 2001 the cost of the Yeoman of The Queen's Bodyguard and the Gentlemen at Arms was met from the grant-in-aid for the Maintenance of the Occupied Royal Palaces in England, provided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The 2000 Royal Trustees Report agreed that certain expenditure met from the Votes of Government Departments or from the Consolidated Fund should be
1 Sept 2003 : Column 891W
met from the Civil List with effect from 1 April 2001. The costs of the Yeoman of The Queen's Bodyguard and the Gentlemen at Arms have been met from the Civil List since 1 April 2001. Her Majesty's Treasury also contributes towards the costs of ceremonial dress of the Captains of the Yeoman of the Queen's Bodyguard and the Gentlemen at Arms, who are also Government Whips.
The information from 1992–93 onwards is as follows:
| £ | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | DCMS | 39,000 |
| 1993–94 | DCMS | 55,000 |
| 1994–95 | DCMS | 68,000 |
| 1995–96 | DCMS | 56,000 |
| 1996–97 | DCMS | 60,000 |
| 1997–98 | DCMS | 74,000 |
| 1998–99 | DCMS | 69,000 |
| 1999–2000 | DCMS | 78,000 |
| 2000–01 | DCMS | 83,000 |
| 2001 -02 | Civil List(66) | 61,000 |
| 2002–03 | Civil List(67) | 73,000 |
(66) The Civil List accounts for expenditure on a calendar year and this figure therefore covers the period 1 April to 31 December 2001.
(67) The Civil List figure covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2002.
The Civil List costs include charges for Gentlemen Ushers.
Stamp Duty
Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the changes in the rate of Stamp Duty which would be necessary were the UK economy to operate under interest rates as set by the European Central Bank to offset the interest rate sensitivity of the UK housing market. [121442]
John Healey: The Government's policy is that entering EMU on the basis of sustainable and durable convergence is essential so that the UK can benefit from the substantial increases in cross-border trade, investment, competition and productivity that EMU could provide. Sustainable and durable convergence between the UK and euro area must be demonstrated to have been achieved to ensure we and others could live comfortably with euro interest rates on a permanent basis.
As the Chancellor announced in his EMU statement on 9 June, the Government has put in place a reform agenda—right for the British economy, and the process of achieving sustainable and durable convergence and the flexibility necessary for Britain to succeed sustainably within the euro zone. The reforms include:
- step changes in the planning and supply of housing and in the market for long-term mortgages; and
a fiscal stabilisation discussion paper considering the appropriate measures that could be taken to stabilise output volatility in the absence of domestic monetary policy were the UK to join EMU.
1 Sept 2003 : Column 892W
that a potential drawback is that it may affect labour mobility. The paper did not estimate the change in the rate of stamp duty that would be necessary to do this, which would depend on the circumstances prevailing at the time.
Tax Revenues
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the use of tax money that is identifiably sourced from particular taxes for particular areas of Government spending. [125249]
Mr. Boateng: In some cases, where the Government are raising revenue for a specific purpose, it is appropriate to reinforce the purpose of the tax measure by linking it to the spending which it finances. For example, the increase in national insurance contributions from April 2003 is financing a significant increase in resources for the Health Service.
DEFENCE
Guardsmen Fisher and Wright
Mr. Mallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether (a) Mark Wright and (b) James Fisher are serving with the Irish Guards regiment in Iraq. [125923]
Mr. Caplin: The Ministry of Defence does not comment on an individual soldier's postings. I am therefore withholding the information under Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Privacy of an individual).
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |