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2 Dec 2003 : Column 33W—continued
EDS
Mr. Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts (a) his Department and (b) agencies for whom his Department is responsible have with EDS; what the (i) scope and (ii) duration is of each contract; and how many staff were transferred to EDS in each case when those contracts were set up. [141158]
Ruth Kelly: The information is as follows:
The EAGLE contract for EDS to supply IT services to the Inland Revenue commenced in 1994 and runs for 10 years, expiring on 30 June 2004. The contract provided for a full range of IT services; from IS/IT strategy, through design, implementation, maintenance and enhancement of systems to desktop and network support and full data support. A total of 1,900 staff were TUPE transferred from the Inland Revenue to EDS.
HMCE have one framework agreement with EDS for consultancy services to assist in delivering a new Human Resource Management System to HMCE. This
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framework is valid from July 2002 for the period up to the end of March 2005. No staff have been transferred to EDS from HMCE.
HM Treasury has no commercial relationship with EDS.
Equitable Life
Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has been given by Lord Penrose on the likely timing of the publication of his report on Equitable Life. [140509]
Ruth Kelly: The publication of Lord Penrose's report is a matter for the Government rather than Lord Penrose. The Treasury will publish Lord Penrose's report, in full if this is at all possible, as soon as is practicable following receipt of the report.
European Structural Funds
Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Treasury plans to repatriate European structural funds. [140537]
Ruth Kelly: The Government's policy for European structural funds are as set out by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in her statement to this House on 17 September. The Government believes that the EU Framework for Devolved Regional Policy provides the basis for an outcome that is best for the new member states, for Europe, and for the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.
The Government will also respond to this House in more detail on some of the questions raised in the domestic consultation in the near future.
Gold Sales
Charles Hendry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the current value is of the investments made in euro, dollar and yen interest bearing assets from the proceeds of gold sales between July 1999 and March 2002; and what their current value would be if still held as gold. [140651]
Ruth Kelly: My answer to the hon. Gentleman on 27 October 2003, Official Report, column 39, explained that the gold sales between July 1999 and March 2002 reflected a prudent decision to reduce over-exposure to a single asset in the net reserves portfolio. The gold sales reduced risk by around 30 per cent. (as measured by value-at-risk) and are not expected to deliver a loss in return when measured over the medium to long-term, the appropriate time horizon for such a decision.
Inland Revenue (IT System)
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether a market-making exercise was conducted by the Inland Revenue in support of the original contract for the IT system for the Inland Revenue; and who the prospective suppliers engaged with the Inland Revenue in the conduct of that market-making exercise were. [140480]
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Dawn Primarolo: The initial Market-making exercise for the EAGLE contract prompted six responses to the OJEC notice. The suppliers involved were:
- CSC Europe/IBM UK
EDS Ltd.
Hoskyns Group plc
ICL/Anderson Consulting
Digital Alliance (Digital Equipment Co., Logica and Barclays)
Sema Group UK
Investment
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what change there has been in (a) business investment, (b) manufacturing investment and (c) service sector investment in each of the last six years. [140950]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 2 December 2003:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question concerning the change there has been in (a) business investment, (b) manufacturing investment and (c) service sector investment in each of the last six years. I am replying in his absence. (140950)
- The information requested is shown in the table below. The appropriate chained volume measure series have been used i.e. the effects of price changes through the period have been excluded.
| Period | (a) Business Investment | (b) Total Manufacturing Investment | (c) Total Sector Investment Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 10.1 | 11.2 | 11.6 |
| 1998 | 18.1 | 4.2 | 29.2 |
| 1999 | 2.8 | -8.8 | 8.0 |
| 2000 | 4.6 | -3.0 | 10.1 |
| 2001 | 3.6 | -9.7 | 5.8 |
| 2002 | -3.5 | -10.3 | -1.2 |
Procurement Card Scheme
Brian Cotter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Government departments operate the Government Procurement Card scheme; and how many cases of fraud have been identified since the scheme was introduced. [141602]
Mr. Boateng: 122 organisations currently operate the Government Procurement Card Scheme. A list of them has been placed in the Library of the House.
There have, since the inception of the GPC scheme in 1999, been a small number of incidences of fraud on the Government Procurement Card. All of these incidences have been reported in the HM Treasury Fraud Report, which can be found through the following link:
- http://www.hm-treasury gov uk/Documents/Public spending and Services/Audit and Accounting/pss aud fraud.cfm
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Projects (St. Helens)
Mr. Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which projects have been (a) wholly and (b) partly funded by his Department in St. Helens since 1997; when each project was announced; when it started or was expected to start; what funding was provided by (i) Government and (ii) a third party; what third party provided funding; what the target group of the project was; what the projected outcome of the project was; and what the name of the project was. [141269]
Ruth Kelly: Two projects have been partly funded by the Invest to Save Budget (ISB) in St. Helens since 1997. These were announced in February 2000 and March 2001 respectively.
The projects were: 'Early Intervention Equals Timely Prevention' funding by Government for this project was £241,000. Third party funding was by a partnership consisting of St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council and St. Helens area Merseyside Police. The target groups were victims and potential victims of crime. The projected outcome was to reduce the incidences of victimisation and repeat victimisation and to make an impact on crime and disorder in the St. Helens area.
'The Advice Connections' funding provided by Government to this project was £180,000. Third party funding was by a partnership consisting of The Legal Services Commission for Merseyside, St. Helens Metropolitan Borough Council, St. Helens and Knowsley Health Authority, Council for Voluntary Services, Coalition of Disabled People, Age Concern, Citizens Advice Bureau, The Liverpool Law Society, The Benefits Agency and St. Helens County Court. The target group is citizens likely to suffer from social exclusion. The projected outcome was increased and improved access to legal information and advice services.
Of course HMT allocates spending to departments who will spend this in every authority including St. Helens.
Public Corporations
Mr. Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list all public corporations and in respect of each, the (a) rate of return on capital employed required by the Treasury and (b) sums paid in by each corporation to the Treasury in 2002–03. [141544]
Mr. Boateng: A list of public corporations has been deposited in the Library of the House.
The rate of return on capital employed that is required for an individual public corporation is set by the department that sponsors the body. Departments set this rate in accordance with guidance issued by the Treasury taking into account the type of activity engaged in and the market the body operates in.
For 2002–03 departmental resource accounts list the amount of dividends and interest payments from public corporations that were paid into the Consolidated Fund by departments.
Under the new budgeting regime announced as part of Spending Review 2002 (that came into effect from 1 April 2003) dividend and interest payments from
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public corporations are no longer returned to the Consolidated Fund. They are retained by the sponsor department.
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