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14 Oct 2003 : Column 13W—continued

Baby Bonds

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the scheme for baby bonds; and when he expects that they will be available for children in Redcar. [132379]

Ruth Kelly: The Child Trust Fund is intended to encourage parents and children to develop the savings habit. It will ensure that every child, whatever their family background, will have access at the age of 18 when they begin their adult life, to a stock of assets which they can invest in their future.

It will also help children and their parents to understand the benefits of saving and investment and how to engage with financial institutions.

Detailed proposals covering the nature of the Child Trust Fund, how it will operate and the information and guidance that will be provided will be published shortly.

Euro

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent in each year by his Department in preparing for UK entry to the euro; how much his Department plans to spend on preparations for UK entry to the euro for each year from the current financial year up to and including 2005–06; and what estimates he has made of the total costs to his Department of changeover to the European Single Currency. [131597]

Ruth Kelly: Details of expenditure on changeover planning were included in the third outline National Changeover Plan, published on 9 June 2003. Copies of the document are in the Library of the House.

It is difficult to estimate with any accuracy how much any changeover would cost. It would depend on the approach taken. In particular, many IT systems will be euro compatible as a result of ongoing modernisation programmes, which would reduce the costs of any euro changeover.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many speeches he has made since 1 June 2003 concerning the euro. [131748]

Ruth Kelly: Ministers are holding a series of meetings around the country campaigning for a pro-European consensus.

Financial Services Authority

Mr. Bailey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on their discussion paper DP20, with particular reference to mutual organisations; [R] [131989]

(2) what representations he has received on the Financial Services Authority's proposed reforms to with-profits products and access to capital for mutual insurers and friendly societies; and what impact these proposals will have on mutual organisations. [R] [131990]

14 Oct 2003 : Column 14W

Ruth Kelly: The Treasury has received a number of representations on the proposed reforms to with-profits. Officials have discussed a number of issues relating to these proposals with both individual life insurance companies, including mutual life offices, and the FSA. Clearly any decision on taking forward these reforms is a matter for the FSA.

Illegal Meat Importation

Mr. Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many prosecutions have been made regarding the illegal importation of meat identified by Customs and Excise sniffer dogs in the last five years; and how many of those have resulted in successful convictions. [131693]

John Healey: HM Customs and Excise took over responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on products of animal origin from Defra on 11 April 2003. The two Defra meat detector dogs and handlers transferred to HM Customs and Excise on 1 May.

None of Customs' seizures of illegal meat since 11 April have resulted in prosecution action.

Income Tax

Mr. Howard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what he estimates the effect on current receipts would have been in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05, (c) 2005–06, (d) 2006–07 and (e) 2007–08 if the income tax system had been changed such that (i) the basic rate limit for 2003–04 had been set at £45,385, increasing thereafter in accordance with the normal indexation procedure, (ii) the higher rate of income tax applicable to taxable income above a basic rate limit of £45,385 in 2003–04 and an indexed level thereafter had been set at 50 per cent. in 2003–04 and all subsequent years and (iii) a 60 per cent. marginal rate of income tax had been applied to annual income above £100,000 in 2003–04, with this threshold being indexed in accordance with the normal procedure thereafter; and if he will set out the assumptions concerning changes to economic behaviour, including (A) hours worked by people in different income brackets, (B) changes in consumption levels and (C) decisions on country location taken by companies and individuals that inform this calculation; [123358]

(2) if he will estimate the effect of introducing a 60 per cent. marginal rate of income tax on annual income above £100,000 on (a) GDP and (b) current receipts after (i) one year, (ii) five years and (iii) 10 years; and if he will set out the assumptions on which the calculation is based. [123359]

Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 3 July 2003]: We have compiled comprehensive information on income tax which has been placed in the Library of the House.

Individual Learning Accounts

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Exchequer in terms of tax receipts forgone was of the individual learning accounts introduced in the 1999 budget in each year since introduction. [131359]

14 Oct 2003 : Column 15W

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 September 2003, Official Report, columns 594–95W.

Inland Revenue

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what properties the Inland Revenue owns; what properties have been sold by the Inland Revenue since May 1997 other than to Mapeley Steps Ltd.; and when they were sold. [122210]

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue owns: Sheraton House, Skinner Street, Stockton (which is in the process of being sold); and the freehold of Darwin House, Shrewsbury—a historic building—let on a 175 year lease to Mapeley STEPS Ltd.

The properties sold since 1997, other than to Mapeley STEPS Ltd. are listed as follows.

Dundonald House, Bexhill on Sea—March 1998


Stuart House, Edinburgh—January 1999 ¹


Montrose House, Glasgow—January 1998 ¹


Highland House, Manchester—November 1998 ¹


Holborn House, Stockport—January 1999 ¹


55–59 Wilson Patten Street, Warrington—January 2000


St. Johns House, Bootle—August 2000 ¹


Government Buildings, Oxford—December 2000


23, Piccadilly, York—March 2001 ²


Rutland House, Bradford—March 2001 ²


6 Dormer Place, Leamington Spa—August 2002



¹ These buildings were sold as part of individual building PFI contracts negotiated prior to the Mapeley contract and therefore not included as part of the Mapeley deal. ² These buildings were transferred to Mapeley STEPS Contractor Ltd.

Iraq

Llew Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the money set aside to support the invasion of Iraq has been spent to date; and what plans he has to increase the funds available to support activities in Iraq. [129725]

Mr. MacDougall: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the war with Iraq in 2003. [130522]

Mr. Flook: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimates he has made of the cost of deployments to Iraq in (a) this financial year and (b) each of the next three financial years. [131511]

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the cost to the UK of (a) the conflict in Iraq and (b) the occupation since the end of hostilities; and if he will make a statement. [131468]

Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the most recent estimate is of the cost of the recent conflict in Iraq. [132296]

14 Oct 2003 : Column 16W

Mr. Boateng [holding answer 17 September 2003]: As the Chancellor said in his 2003 Budget statement,

"I can confirm that I have set aside £3 billion, in a special reserve available to the Ministry of Defence so that our troops continue to be properly equipped and given the resources that they deserve and have a right to expect." [9 April 2003, Official Report, column 271].

It is too early to provide total costs of the military campaign in Iraq. However, the Ministry of Defence estimate for the preparatory phase, up to the point military operations began, at around £700 million.

Landfill Tax Credit Scheme

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to include furniture recycling projects in the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme. [131406]

John Healey: There are no such plans. From 1 April funding for sustainable waste management projects was removed from the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme and is now the responsibility of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

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