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St. Helena

Mr. Steen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will take steps to amend tax legislation to make St. Helena a tax-free zone; [137434]

(2) if he will provide tax breaks for companies who relocate their offices to St Helena. [137438]

Dawn Primarolo: No. The fiscal affairs of St. Helena are primarily for its own Government. The UK would only intervene in exceptional circumstances.

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 3 November 2003, Official Report, columns 455–56W, on stamp duty land tax, if he will publish his assessment of the impact of stamp duty land tax on the retail sector. [137603]

Ruth Kelly: The impact of stamp duty land tax on the retail sector was considered and discussed as part of the recent consultation process, as my earlier answer made clear. However, no formal assessment has been made of the impact on the retail sector.

VAT Registrations

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons are for the differences in the statistics on value added tax registrations and de-registrations published by HM Customs and Excise in its value-added tax bulletin for September, dated 20 October and by the Department of Trade and Industry in its Statistical News Release 03/111, dated 21 October. [137659]

John Healey [holding answer 10 November 2003]: The data published by the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service is taken from the Inter-Departmental Business Register and not directly from HM Customs and Excise.

Customs and Excise receive their data directly from traders' requests to register and deregister. These figures are published in the VAT Bulletin.

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The same data is passed to the Office for National Statistics who modify it to their own standards and definitions before incorporating into their Inter-Departmental Business Register. These adjustments exclude companies with a zero turnover and amalgamate separately-registered businesses which are part of a single 'enterprise'.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Action Energy Loans

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many defaults there have been on the repayment of action energy loans; and what the total value is of the loans on which defaults in payment have occurred; [132665]

(2) how much money has been committed to the Carbon Trust in action energy loans in each year since the loan scheme was established; what the average time agreed for the repayment of a loan is; and if she will make a statement; [132666]

(3) how many applications for action energy loans have been made to the Carbon Trust in each year since the loan scheme was established; how many applications were successful; and if she will make a statement. [132667]

Margaret Beckett: The Carbon Trust is a private company launched in April 2001, as part of the Climate Change Levy package, to take the lead on energy efficiency for business and the public sector, and to support the development of a low carbon economy in the UK. The Carbon Trust's Action Energy loans scheme provides interest-free loans of between £5,000 and £50,000 to small and medium-sized enterprises for energy efficiency projects.

The Action Energy loan scheme run by the Carbon Trust is financed through its grant funding from Defra and the devolved Administrations. The Action Energy loan scheme covering England and Wales became fully operational in January 2003. Loan agreements with companies based in England and Wales operate with a fixed repayment schedule over 48 months. In April 2003 Loan Action Northern Ireland ceased and the Carbon Trust launched Action Energy Loans in its place. Loan agreements with companies based in Northern Ireland operate a repayment schedule over 12, 24, 36, or 48 months depending upon the value of the projected energy savings.

The Carbon Trust inform me that since becoming fully operational in January 2003 the Action Energy loan scheme has, up to the end of September 2003, received 458 enquires about the scheme and formally agreed 49 loans with a value of £1,325,916.63 (these data incorporate figures from Northern Ireland from April onwards), and to date there have been no defaults on Action Energy Loan repayments.

Better Payment Practice Code

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is on the application of the Government's Better Payment Practice Code. [136839]

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Margaret Beckett: Defra's payment policy is to pay invoices within 30 days of receipt and agreement of a valid invoice properly supported with proof of delivery of the goods, services and works requested. Defra is a signatory to the Government's Better Payment Practice Code. My Department's payment performance is reported annually to Parliament.

English Nature

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of English Nature. [137139]

Alun Michael: We strongly support the role and work of English Nature. Lord Haskins was asked to review the way the Government delivers its rural policy. This included the activities of those organisations that act directly on behalf of Defra, such as English Nature. We have recently received his report and are considering his recommendations carefully. The report has been published today.

Farm Subsidies

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will publish her Department's assessment of the impact on farm business sectors of different options for decoupling; [135351]

(2) what assessment she has made of the relative impact on unsupported livestock farmers of decoupling using (a) regional average and (b) historic methodology. [135355]

Margaret Beckett: A copy of such an assessment made by economists in Defra has been placed in the Library of the House. The assessment was placed on the Department's website on 16 October and copies have been sent to some stakeholders.

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consultations she has had with (a) deer, (b) bison and (c) other unsupported livestock producers about the impact of Common Agricultural Policy reform on their businesses. [135354]

Margaret Beckett: A public consultation was launched on 22 July in England on the CAP reform agreement, seeking views on various options available to member states in implementing the new system. Consultation responses have been received from the British Bison Association, a deer farmer in North Devon and organisations concerned with the welfare of livestock including unsupported species. In previous consultation rounds responses were received from a deer farm in Fife and the British Deer Farmers' Association.

The Farm Animal Welfare Council is one of the Department's key stakeholders on CAP reform and is a member of my noble Friend the Lord Whitty's stakeholder group.

Separate consultations are being undertaken by the Departments responsible for agricultural policy in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

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Food Supplements

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the action the Government are taking to protect and support the UK food supplements industry. [135765]

Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply.

The Government support a safety-based approach to the regulation of food supplements. In considering specific proposals for regulation of this sector, the Government take account of the views of all stakeholders, including the food supplements industry.

Foot and Mouth

Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what requirements are placed upon her Department by the (a) National Audit Office and (b) European Union concerning invoices submitted to her Department by contractors in respect of the (i) 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease and (ii) subsequent clear-up operation; and if she will make a statement. [132771]

Margaret Beckett: Public bodies are required to operate financial controls that ensure public monies are properly accounted for and that the risks of systematic and systemic overcharging, financial abuse and fraud are minimized and that value for money is secured. A key requirement of this financial control is that there should be a clear audit trail with sufficient supporting documentation at all key stages.

The National Audit Office's role is to enable the Comptroller and Auditor General to certify my Department's financial statements and to examine and report to Parliament on the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the use of my Department's resources. As such they enabled the C&AG to certify and report on the expenditure incurred by my Department in respect of the (i) 2001 outbreak of foot and mouth disease and (ii) subsequent clear-up operations as recorded in my Department's resource accounts for the years 2000–01 and 2001–02. The National Audit Office also enabled the C&AG to examine and report on whether the Department acted in a cost-effective manner and whether there were adequate controls against irregularity. Their recommendations are contained in their report "The 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease" published by The Stationery Office and available also on the NAO website—www.nao.gov.uk. The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts published on 14 March 2003 its Fifth Report of Session 2002- 03—the 2001 Outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease—covering the report, together with Proceedings of the Committee, Minutes of Evidence and an Appendix.

The European Commission auditors are auditing the expenditure incurred in respect of the eradication of foot and mouth disease in 2001. As part of this work commission auditors carry out on the spot checks of the costs incurred during the 2001 outbreak. This includes the examination of invoices.

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