House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 13 Nov 2003 (pt 6)

13 Nov 2003 : Column 420W—continued

Wolves

Sir Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the two grey wolves for which the former Department of the Environment issued a permit for importation from Canada in 1991 were (a) from a Canadian zoo and (b) from a wild population; which zoo was the intended British destination; whether grey wolves were classified as an endangered species in Canada in 1991; whether the wolves were imported; and if she will make a statement. [138046]

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Mr. Morley [holding answer 11 November 2003]: The Department issued a licence on 9 December 1991 for the importation of two wolves from Canada. In response to the specific points raised the answers are as follows:

(a) The wolves came from a Canadian ranching operation which does not appear to be a zoo

(b) The animals were captive bred not taken from wild populations and were brought into Howletts Zoo for breeding purposes.

At the time of import wolves were listed upon Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Appendix II species are defined as species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Work-related Stress

Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department in each of the last three years; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost, what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost; and if she will make a statement. [136854]

Alun Michael: Defra has received a total of two centrally reported cases of work-related stress among staff over the past three years. No compensation has been paid in these cases. Our current sickness absence system does not differentiate between stress and work-related stress.

The Department has set a target to reduce the number of working days lost from work-related injury and ill-health by 30 per cent. by 2010. This mirrors the Revitalising Health and Safety Strategy target.

Defra was established in June 2001. Since then, the Management Board has established a sub-committee on Stress which recommended a number of actions. The Stress Policy was updated and relaunched this year.

It is not possible to quantify the cost of this strategy without detailed analysis of all work groups which is not practicable.

TREASURY

Pension Funds

15. Ann Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will calculate the amount in taxation he has levied from pension funds since May 1997. [138339]

Ruth Kelly: The amount of tax paid by pension funds since May 1997 is not held centrally. However, the Government do provide £13 billion in net tax relief every year for pension funds.

World Debt

16. Lawrie Quinn : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with African Finance Ministers on debt and the millennium development targets. [138342]

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Mr. Boateng: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer the Chancellor gave my hon. Friend the Member for Bristol, West (Valerie Davey), earlier today, Offical Report, col. 409.

Private Health Care

17. Laura Moffatt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds of tax relief on private medical insurance was in the last year for which figures are available. [138343]

Dawn Primarolo: The cost of tax relief on private medical insurance premiums in the last full year the relief was given, 1996–97, was around £110 million.

Public Sector Borrowing

18. Sir Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how his projections for public sector borrowing have changed since the 2002 Budget. [138344]

Ruth Kelly: An interim forecast update for the public finances will be published in the pre-Budget Report as usual.

ECOFIN

19. Mr. David: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the issues he raised at the recent ECOFIN Council meeting in Brussels. [138345]

Ruth Kelly: The Chancellor of the Exchequer attended the meeting of ECOFIN Ministers on 4 November. Discussion covered France's Excessive Deficit under the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), an initial exchange of views on the proposed Transparency directive and taxation of Savings.

ECOFIN also endorsed an Economic Policy Committee paper on the impact of ageing on public finances, and agreed conclusions on the role of customs in controlling external borders.

Prior to the meeting there was a breakfast discussion of pension reform in the context of the Broad Economic Policy Guidelines, and a formal dialogue with all the Candidate Countries.

Over lunch, Finance Ministers discussed the economic and finance elements of the Intergovernmental Conference. The Chancellor, in particular, stressed that tax harmonisation and EU control over fiscal policy would be damaging for Europe's economic interests.

National Insurance

20. Angela Watkinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has for future rates of National Insurance Contributions; and if he will make a statement. [138346]

Dawn Primarolo: Any changes to National Insurance rates will be announced, as usual, at the time of the pre-Budget Report.

Government Economic Targets

21. Mr. Boswell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he intends to take to improve independent evaluation of compliance with Government economic targets. [138347]

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Ruth Kelly: The Government's key economic targets are contained within the Treasury's latest Public Service Agreement (PSA), agreed as part of the 2002 Spending Review (SR2002). The Technical Note for these targets, published on the HM Treasury website, sets out exactly how performance will be judged, and the National Audit Office will validate the data systems underpinning each of the SR2002 PSA targets at least once during its lifetime. Furthermore, many of the key data used to measure performance against these targets are published as National Statistics, and thus compiled in accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice.

Euro

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) personal and (b) business euro accounts had been opened at the latest date for which figures are available. [138099]

Ruth Kelly: The latest quarterly review by the Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) identified that, as at end September 2003, there were around (a) 76,000 personal, and (b) 116,000 corporate euro bank accounts held in the United Kingdom.

Performance Monitoring

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost was of (a) setting, (b) monitoring and (c) measuring the performance targets for his Department in 2002–03; and how many and what grades of civil servants monitor these targets. [137948]

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Ruth Kelly: Performance targets for the Chancellor's departments were agreed as part of the Spending Review 2002. The monitoring and measurement of these Public Service Agreement targets forms part of departmental performance management. Performance management is an integral part of the day-to-day running of the departments, and as such it is not possible to separate out specific costs. The monitoring of progress towards, and performance against, the Chancellor's department's PSA targets is undertaken by staff at all levels of the organisation.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the performance targets that (a) his Department and (b) its agencies and non-departmental public bodies are required to meet; and if he will specify for each target (i) who sets it and (ii) who monitors achievement against it. [137964]

Ruth Kelly: Key performance targets for Her Majesty's Treasury are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm5571). Targets measure progress towards objectives. Performance is reported regularly, both in the Departmental Report, the Autumn Performance Report and on the HM-Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/Treasury.cfm.

Information on the performance targets of the Chancellor's other departments along with the agencies and non-departmental public bodies is given in the following table.

Government Departments, agenciesand NDPBs

Inland Revenue Key performance targets for the Inland Revenue are agreed as part of the Spending Review. The performance targets for 2003–06 were published in the Inland Revenue Spring Departmental Report 2003 (Cm 5925), Performance against targets is reported regularly.

HM Customs and Excise Key performance targets for HM Customs and Excise are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm 5571). The department monitors progress towards the target along with HM Treasury and progress is reported regularly. The department has no agencies or NDPBs.

Office of Government Commerce The Office of Government Commerce does not have separate PSA targets, they are included within HM Treasury targets.

Office for National Statistics Key performance targets for the Office for National Statistics were set as part of the Spending Review 2002 and are monitored as part of departmental performance management. They are published on the National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/ONS/2002_spending_review_sda.asp.

The Royal Mint Key performance targets for the Royal Mint are detailed in their Annual Report for 2002–03 (Cm821). Ministers set these performance targets on the advice of HM Treasury in consultation with its Shareholder Panel and the Royal Mint. The Royal Mint, the Treasury and its Shareholder Panel, including through meetings with the Minister, monitor achievement of these targets.

The Debt Management Office The Debt Management Office's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed jointly by the Debt Management Office and HM Treasury and approved by Treasury Ministers, Performance against the targets is monitored by the Debt Management Office and reported on a regular basis.

The Valuation Office Agency The Valuation Office Agency currently has eight key performance indicators that are underpinned by 20 specific targets, These are published in the Forward Plan 2003–2008, Targets are approved by the Paymaster General and announced in Parliament. The monitoring of achievement against these targets takes place by staff at all levels under the direction of the management board and are subject to internal audit by their parent department the Inland Revenue.

National Savings and Investments National Savings and Investments is an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and as such agrees its performance targets within the Spending Review and annual planning process. These targets are published in its Departmental Report

Government Actuary's Department The Government Actuary's Department's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed in consultation with the relevant HMT Spending Team and are discussed on an annual basis. Achievements against these targets are also reported in its Spring Departmental Report.

Government Departments, agenciesand NDPBs
Inland Revenue	Key performance targets for the Inland Revenue are agreed as part of the Spending Review. The performance targets for 2003–06 were published in the Inland Revenue Spring Departmental Report 2003 (Cm 5925), Performance against targets is reported regularly.
HM Customs and Excise	Key performance targets for HM Customs and Excise are agreed as part of the Spending Review and the latest set were published in Spending Review 2002: Public Service Agreements 2003–2006 (Cm 5571). The department monitors progress towards the target along with HM Treasury and progress is reported regularly. The department has no agencies or NDPBs.
Office of Government Commerce	The Office of Government Commerce does not have separate PSA targets, they are included within HM Treasury targets.
Office for National Statistics	Key performance targets for the Office for National Statistics were set as part of the Spending Review 2002 and are monitored as part of departmental performance management. They are published on the National Statistics website www.statistics.gov.uk/about_ns/ONS/2002_spending_review_sda.asp.
The Royal Mint	Key performance targets for the Royal Mint are detailed in their Annual Report for 2002–03 (Cm821). Ministers set these performance targets on the advice of HM Treasury in consultation with its Shareholder Panel and the Royal Mint. The Royal Mint, the Treasury and its Shareholder Panel, including through meetings with the Minister, monitor achievement of these targets.
The Debt Management Office	The Debt Management Office's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed jointly by the Debt Management Office and HM Treasury and approved by Treasury Ministers, Performance against the targets is monitored by the Debt Management Office and reported on a regular basis.
The Valuation Office Agency	The Valuation Office Agency currently has eight key performance indicators that are underpinned by 20 specific targets, These are published in the Forward Plan 2003–2008, Targets are approved by the Paymaster General and announced in Parliament. The monitoring of achievement against these targets takes place by staff at all levels under the direction of the management board and are subject to internal audit by their parent department the Inland Revenue.
National Savings and Investments	National Savings and Investments is an Executive Agency of the Chancellor of the Exchequer and as such agrees its performance targets within the Spending Review and annual planning process. These targets are published in its Departmental Report
Government Actuary's Department	The Government Actuary's Department's performance targets are published in its annual business plan. The targets are developed in consultation with the relevant HMT Spending Team and are discussed on an annual basis. Achievements against these targets are also reported in its Spring Departmental Report.

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