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Customs and Excise
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of (a) illegal fuel, (b) beer, (c) wine and spirits, (d) cigarettes and (e) counterfeit goods seized in each of the last three years in (i) the UK, (ii) the North West and (iii) Lancashire. [157975]
John Healey: HM Customs and Excise routinely publish UK seizures statistics for oil, alcohol and cigarettes. The latest published figures are contained in Customs' Annual Report 2002–03 (HC 52). Regional figures are not available.
Data on non-excise counterfeit products seized by Customs is contained in the European Commission's annual report on counterfeit and pirated goods, which is available on their website at www.europa.eu.int
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Earnings
Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the rise in earnings was for each region of the UK for 2002–03, listed in descending order. [157661]
Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Martyn Jones, dated 4 March 2004:
- The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on the rise in earnings for each region of the UK between 2002 and 2003. I am replying in his absence. (157661)
- Average earnings are estimated from the 2003 New Earnings Survey (NES) and are provided for full-time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for NES tables.
- The following table gives the percentage increase in gross weekly pay for 2002 to 2003 for the regions as requested.
| Region | Percentage increase in average weekly earnings |
|---|---|
| South West | 4.2 |
| East | 4.2 |
| Wales | 3.7 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 3.7 |
| Northern Ireland | 3.7 |
| East Midlands | 3.6 |
| North West | 2.6 |
| Scotland | 2.3 |
| London | 2.0 |
| North East | 2.0 |
| West Midlands | 2.0 |
| South East | 1.4 |
(1) Earnings of full time employees in the UK on adult rates, whose pay for the pay period was unaffected by absence
Source:
ONS New Earnings Survey, April 2003
Customs and Excise
Mr. Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the customs strike force and the level of protection provided in Welsh ports of entry. [155390]
John Healey: To meet the challenge of 21st century smuggling, HM Customs and Excise, in Wales and across the UK, have developed their tactics, replacing traditional, predictable and less productive activities with more intelligence-led targeted operations. Experience demonstrates that the most efficient and effective way to do this in many areas is to use flexible mobile strike force teams. With these teams, Customs can deploy larger numbers, less predictably and with greater impact.
Road User Pricing
Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the (a) the
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proposed date for implementation of the Lorry Road User Charge and (b) its tax implications for the UK haulage industry. [158221]
John Healey: The Government published "Modernising the taxation of the haulage industry—lorry road user charge: progress report two" in May 2003, in which we set out the timescale on which we hoped the Lorry Road User Charge would be implemented, depending on what the market tells us can be delivered by when. We also said that the charge would be offset through fuel duty reductions for lorry operators, so that overall those who buy fuel in the UK will pay no more tax as a result of the introduction of the charge. A further progress report will be issued shortly.
Supporting People Programme
Mr. Dhanda: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guarantee he is able to give about funding levels for the Supporting People programme in 2004–05. [156878]
Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply
On 12 February, the Government announced funding of £1.8 billion for the Supporting People programme in 2004–05.
Taxation
Mr. Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds would be of abolishing capital gains tax, but charging all gains made in less than two years to income tax. [157573]
Dawn Primarolo: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
DEFENCE
Administrative Expenditure
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the financial delegation for the Ministry of Defence relating to running costs and other current administrative expenditure relating to personnel costs of the armed forces. [158776]
Mr. Ingram: I have today placed a copy of the delegation in the Library of the House.
Defence Finance
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the current value of investments held by the (a) Army, (b) Navy and (c) RAF; and if he will make a statement. [142029]
Mr. Ingram: The total value of MOD investments as at 31 March 2003 was some £430 million. Further information is published in Note 9 of the Ministry of Defence Annual Report and Accounts 2002/03 (HC1125 of 30 October 2003). This document is available in the Library of the House and on the MOD's website. The investments are mainly managed centrally and therefore are not attributed by Service.
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Future Rapid Effects System
Mr. Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether his Department classifies the Future Rapid Effects System programme as (a) a system and (b) a vehicle; [157596]
- (2) whether the winner of the Future Rapid Effects System Systems House competition will be disqualified from playing a major role on the industrial side of the programme; [157597]
(3) whether the proposed Systems House approach is the preferred way forward for the Future Rapid Effects System programme. [157598]
Mr. Ingram: The Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) will provide a family of network-capable armoured vehicles that will form a key part of network enabled capability. We expect to make an announcement on the assessment phase for the FRES programme shortly.
Gurkhas
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on (a) the future of Gurkha regiments in the British Army and (b) back filling by Gurkhas in other regiments. [158262]
Mr. Ingram: There are currently no plans regarding the future of Gurkha regiments. The Defence White Paper published last December provides the policy context for shaping the structure of the armed forces. Subsequently, the details of individual units within that structure will need to be further developed, but presently no decisions have been taken.
Gurkhas are not routinely tasked as individuals to back fill other army regiments. Previously, specific Gurkha sub-units, known as Gurkha Reinforcement Companies, were established in order to fill a specific operational manning requirement during a period of under-recruiting. However, improved manning levels have since reduced this requirement.
Heavy-lift Aircraft
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many aircraft were hired to help with heavy lift in each of the last three years; and what types of aircraft were hired. [158260]
Mr. Ingram: The following heavy-lift aircraft have been chartered in the last two financial years and in the current financial year to date:
| Antonov AN-124 | Ilyushin IL 76 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–02 | 86 | 23 |
| 2002–03 | 176 | 23 |
| 2003–04 | 52 | 7 |
Iraq
Mr. Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints against UK troops in Iraq have been upheld; what action has been taken; and if he will make a statement. [142178]
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Mr. Ingram [holding answer 9 December 2003]: Complaints against UK troops in Iraq are dealt with by local commanders in accordance with established disciplinary procedures. The vast majority of complaints are of a minor nature and are, as a result generally not recorded centrally.
Mr. Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement concerning the death in British Army custody in September 2003 of Baha Mousa in Basra; what action has been taken or is pending against the soldiers involved; whether compensation has been (a) offered to and (b) accepted by his family; and whether he will accept an independent inquiry into the circumstances of Mr. Mousa's death. [147706]
Mr. Ingram: The death of Baha Mousa is the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Royal Military Police who, in exercising their constabulary powers, are fully independent of the Army chain of command. It would be inappropriate to comment until their investigation is complete.
The UK has not admitted liability for Baha Mousa's death but a payment has been accepted by Mr. Mousa's family.
Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent to repair and reconstruct civilian infrastructure by UK forces within the first 100 days of the end of high intensity fighting in Iraq. [150220]
Mr. Ingram: In collecting the costs incurred by UK forces, we do not separately identify those incurred on repair and reconstruction of civilian infrastructure. However, it is estimated that, in 2003–04, some £9.9 million will be spent on quick impact projects, which enhance the security of UK forces. Such projects include the refurbishment of schools and health clinics, renovation of police stations, supplying oxygen to hospitals, and the repairing and re-supplying of water and sewerage works. This is separate from the cost of reconstruction, on which the Department for International Development is leading.
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what budget his Department has allocated for entertaining troops in Iraq. [158223]
Mr. Ingram: There is no specific budget set aside for the entertainment of troops in operational locations. Instead, an assessment, based on the number of troops deployed on the operation, is made to determine how many events should be provided.
Just over £0.5 million has been approved to be spent on entertainers visiting troops in Iraq in 2003–04. No costs were incurred in 2002–03. In addition to this cost, entertainers may be provided with some limited non-cash assistance, such as transport, accommodation or food, should this be possible given operational pressures. The Services Sound and Vision Corporation incur an additional cost, extending their normal peacetime service to the United Kingdom forces stationed overseas, to those deployed operationally in Iraq. For 2003–04, the additional cost for that activity is estimated at around £4 million.
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It might be helpful to put these figures in the context of the overall net additional cost of military operations in Iraq which, for 2003–04, is forecast at around £1,500 million.
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date the Permanent Secretary in his Department was first informed as to which Iraqi weapons the 45 minute claim in the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction dossier applied. [158773]
Mr. Hoon: The Permanent Secretary first became aware of the intelligence which indicated that chemical and biological munitions could be with Iraqi military units and ready for firing within 45 minutes in early September 2002. He became aware that the intelligence referred to battlefield weapons soon after the publication of the Government's dossier on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
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