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14 Oct 2003 : Column 19W—continued

Tax Liability (Company Car Benefit)

Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was generated from duties on company car benefit in kind in each financial year since 2000–01. [131297]

Dawn Primarolo: Latest estimates of the tax liability on company car benefit are available on the Inland Revenue's website at: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov. uk/stats/taxable benefits/tbikaep t05 1htm

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Tax Relief (Employee-loaned Computers)

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 16 January 2003, Official Report, column 754W, on tax relief on employee-loaned computers, whether the information requested has been collected from employers. [130999]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 15 September 2003, Official Report, columns 592–93W.

Trading Fund Models

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2003, Official Report, column 276W, on trading fund models, if he will make it his policy to require Government agencies operating on a trading fund model to report the amounts of their turnover provided by sales to (a) Government Departments and Government agencies, (b) private sector customers and (c) value added resellers; and if he will make a statement; [132166]

(2) if he will require Ordnance Survey to publish in its Annual Report the breakdown of its turnover of between sales (a) to Government Departments and Government agencies, (b) to private sector customers and (c) to value-added resellers; and if he will make a statement. [132167]

Mr. Boateng: Trading funds prepare their accounts in accordance with the requirements of "Trading Funds: Accounts Guidance issued by HM Treasury". These requirements comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Practice in the United Kingdom (UK GAAP) to the extent that this is meaningful and appropriate in the public sector context. UK GAAP includes pronouncements by the Accounting Standards Board, one of which (Statement of Standard Accounting Practice 25) requires the disclosure of turnover by class of business or geographical segment where the body operates in more than one class of business or geographical segment. In line with the provisions of SSAP 25, it is for the management of the trading fund to define the appropriate class of business or geographical segments. In addition, where a trading fund provides different services as defined in the "Fees and Charges Guide" (also issued by HM Treasury), the Guide requires information about the performance of each service—including details of the turnover—to be disclosed.

There are currently no plans to extend the disclosure requirements for trading funds (either in general or in specific cases) beyond those of SSAP 25 and the "Fees and Charges Guide".

VAT (Church Repairs)

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions his Department has had with the European Commission regarding the level at which VAT is levied on church repairs in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [131440]

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 18 September to the hon. Member for Warrington North (Helen Jones) Official Report, column 466W.

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War Debt

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the schedule is for repayments to the USA of War Debt incurred by Britain during and in the aftermath of the Second World War, including the line of credit and the lend-lease loan. [131690]

Ruth Kelly: The schedule for the repayments of interest and principal sums outstanding on the Second World War agreement for a line of credit and a lend-lease loan facility with the United States Government are as follows:

	US$ million
December 2003	148
December 2004	145
December 2005	142
December 2006	83

DEFENCE

Criminal Offences

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, broken down by Act, the criminal offences created in legislation sponsored by his Department since 1997. [110992]

Mr. Caplin [holding answer 8 May 2003]: One offence has been created in legislation sponsored by the Ministry of Defence since 1997. The Armed Forces Act 2001 included powers, in relation to persons subject to Service law, to test for alcohol or drugs after a serious incident and created the offence of failing to provide a sample in such circumstances.

European Security Policy

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what part the development of a research-linked European security policy will play in future British security policy. [130806]

Mr. Hoon: The European Commission has yet to define precisely the content of its proposed "Preparatory Action on the enhancement of European industrial potential in the field of security research". It is therefore too early to assess whether any security research programme emerging from this will influence British defence or security policies.

Far East Civilian Survivors

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are to extend ex gratia compensation payments to Far East British civilian survivors of the Second World War who cannot prove a bloodlink; and if he will make a statement. [131361]

Mr. Caplin: The eligibility criterion for the ex gratia payment scheme requires that Civilian Internees of the Japanese during the Second World War were British subjects who had been born or had a parent or grandparent born in the United Kingdom. This criterion has been thoroughly examined by the courts, including the Court of Appeal, and confirmed.

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Friendly Fire

Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inquiries are being conducted in the United Kingdom armed forces into the Friendly Fire incidents of the recent Gulf conflict; whether US personnel (a) participated in and (b) have been denied permission to participate in the inquiries; and if he will make a statement. [130529]

Mr. Ingram [holding answer 17 September 2003]: The United Kingdom armed forces thoroughly investigate all suspected incidents of Friendly Fire. Depending on the type of incident, investigations may be undertaken by a variety of agencies. This could include Royal Military Police, the Land Accident Prevention Investigation Team, Boards of Inquiry or Unit Inquiry Teams.

United States personnel have had observer status for UK investigations where relevant. The UK and the US have also jointly interviewed witnesses where possible and necessary. Further, a UK representative sits on the US-led Board of Inquiry into the incident suspected of involving an RAF Tornado and a Patriot Missile. For the incident suspected of involving a UK Scimitar and a US A-10, a joint UK/US, US-led inquiry has been held and UK representatives sat on the inquiry board. We are not aware of any further Friendly Fire incidents that may have involved UK and US personnel. There is no indication that the evidence of any US personnel has been withheld from UK representatives or that US personnel have been denied permission to participate in the inquiries.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi civilians have been killed by United Kingdom or United States military forces in (a) Iraq and (b) Baghdad since the end of the conflict in Iraq. [129641]

Mr. Hoon: We make every effort to minimise the impact of military operations on the Iraqi civilian population. We have no reliable means of ascertaining the numbers of civilians killed by United Kingdom Forces since the conflict ended.

Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) small arms and (b) heavy weapons have been (i) confiscated and (ii) destroyed by UK forces since cessation of hostilities in Iraq. [126136]

Mr. Ingram: We did not centrally record the numbers of weapons confiscated or destroyed before 10 May 2003. Since then, as of 24 September, over 3,100 small arms and 450 heavy weapons (rocket-propelled grenades, mortars and man-portable air-defence missile systems) have been confiscated by forces of the Multinational Division under United Kingdom Command. We do not separately record the numbers destroyed. Excellent progress also continues to be made in the broader task of munitions clearance.

Kenya (Rape Allegations)

Mr. Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress in investigating allegations made by women in Kenya that they were raped by British soldiers. [125945]

14 Oct 2003 : Column 23W

Mr. Ingram: The Special Investigation Branch (SIB) of the Royal Military Police is currently engaged in a major criminal investigation into these allegations. A major incident room has been established in the UK and the investigation team has visited Kenya a number of times in recent months to examine Kenyan police records and to interview alleged victims. The SIB continues to act with the full support of the Kenyan authorities. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the investigation remains on-going.

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