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5 Jan 2004 : Column 163W—continued

Hoechst Judgment

Mr. Prisk: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the amount of tax likely to be repaid as a consequence of the European Court of Justice judgment in the Hoechst case; and how much has been repaid to date. [145732]

Dawn Primarolo: A total of £183 million has been paid to date as a consequence of the judgment of the European Court of Justice in the Hoechst case. Around £100 million of this may be recoverable depending on the outcome of a related court case. Current claims in

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which repayments have not yet been made are estimated to be in the region of £250 million, of which around £150 million depends on the court case. Any further repayments are subject to the other court decisions and a reliable estimate of the tax potentially repayable is not possible at the present time.

Israel

Richard Burden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the types of products that have been imported to the UK under preference according to the EU-Israel Association Agreement but which HM Customs and Excise has reason to believe have originated in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories. [145398]

John Healey: The information requested could lead to the identification of individual importers, so the information cannot be made available; Exemption 13 (third party's commercial confidences) and 15 (statutory and other restrictions) of the Code of Conduct on Access to Government Information apply.

IT Systems

Lynne Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what Inland Revenue information technology systems are being privatised; and for what reasons. [145813]

Dawn Primarolo: No Inland Revenue IT systems are being privatised.

Liquefied Petroleum Gas

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the duty regime for liquefied petroleum gas for motor vehicles following his pre-Budget statement. [144880]

John Healey: The 2003 pre-Budget report (Cm 6042) announced that the current duty rate for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) would be gradually increased over time towards a level that is more commensurate with its environmental benefit.

Consistent with the PBR commitment to provide unprecedented rolling three-year certainty on duty rates for all alternative fuels, the duty differentials for LPG for the next three years will be set out in Budget 2004.

National Statistics

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that for every National Statistics first release, the full list of Ministers and officials having pre-release access to the release or the associated briefing is made available, including (a) an electronic link for electronic versions of the release and (b) the length of pre-release access. [143375]

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 November 2003, Official Report, column 728W.

The list of Treasury Ministers and officials who have authorised pre-release access to National Statistics first releases is available on the Office for National Statistics (ONS) website. In addition, the Macroeconomic Statistics Service Level Agreement, drawn up between ONS and the Treasury in 1998, lists a further small

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number of individuals in the Treasury who receive copies of the Treasury's internal briefing on these statistical releases before the publication of the data. Since 1998, this list has been updated to reflect changes to personnel and staff structures.

An updated list of those with authorised access to briefing in line with these procedures will be made available in due course.

Overseas Companies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what precedent there is for the UK Government purchasing an overseas company; and if he will make a statement. [144114]

Mr. Boateng: From time to time, the Boards of state-owned enterprises take commercial decisions involving overseas investments. These decisions are a matter for those Boards under their governance arrangements with the responsible shareholding departments.

Private Finance Initiative/Public Private Partnerships Contracts

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the value of capital expenditure payments made under private finance initiative/public private partnerships contracts in each year since 1997; [145471]

Mr. Boateng: Table C20 of the Budget shows a forecast of the estimated unitary payments under signed PFI contracts over the next 25 years. PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge paragraph 2.23 sets out what these payments comprise.

Table C18 of the Budget lists departmental estimates of capital expenditure by the private sector under signed PFI/PPP contracts. Since 1997 these estimates are:

£ billion

Value
1997–981.5
1998–993.5
1999–20002.7
2000–013.2
2001–023.5
2002–033.7

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will state the nature of the element of private finance initiative contracts that is stated when these contracts are shown on balance sheet; [145479]

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Mr. Boateng: Where the assets constructed under PFI contracts are reported on departmental balance sheets, the value reported is the full value of the assets concerned in accordance with the requirements of the Accounting Standards Board's Application Note F to FRS 5—Private Finance Initiative and Similar Contracts.

A total of 563 PFI transactions reached financial close by 4 April 2003, with a total capital value of £35.5 billion. The estimated capital value of signed PFI contracts where capital assets are accounted for on departmental balance sheets is £20.2 billion. This represents 57 per cent. of the total estimated capital value.

A list of PFI contracts signed to date is available on the HM Treasury public website. PFI contracts where the assets concerned are on departmental balance sheets are reported in departmental accounts, together with disclosure of information relating to any contracts assessed as off balance sheet.

Pre-Budget Report 2003

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will make a statement on his plans to look at the policy, funding and regulation activity which impacts on the private sector, referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003; [145922]

Mr. Boateng: Departments have been asked to bring forward proposals in this area in their Spending Review submissions.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans to seek to ensure significant improvements in the productive time of front line public service professionals by realising benefits from investments agreed in the 2002 Spending Review, referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget report 2003. [145935]

Mr. Boateng: This is a matter which will be considered in light of the Efficiency Review's further work and report later in the year.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what deadline he has set for the significant improvements in the productive time of front line public service professionals referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget Report 2003. [145948]

Mr. Boateng: A decision on whether, how and at what level any targets for improvements in productive time should be set will be taken in light of the Efficiency Review's report later this year.

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Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how he will measure the significant improvements in the productive time of front line public service professionals referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget Report 2003. [145949]

Mr. Boateng: This is a matter on which the Efficiency Review will report later in the year.

Mr. Flight: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to set targets for the significant improvements in the productive time of front line public service professionals referred to in paragraph 6.47 of the pre-Budget Report 2003. [145950]

Mr. Boateng: This matter will be considered when the Efficiency Review reports later in the year.


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