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Energy Efficiency

20. Mr. Chaytor : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures he plans to introduce to encourage energy efficiency; and if he will make a statement. [165000]

John Healey: The Energy White Paper identified the efficient use of energy as the most cost-effective way to meet the Government's four energy goals f reducing carbon emissions; ensuring security of supply; maintaining Competitiveness; and tackling fuel poverty. The Government have already made significant progress in encouraging energy efficiency, and the Climate Change levy and the EU emissions trading scheme both have a key role in this.

Budget 2004 also announced further use of economic instruments for domestic energy efficiency, including a landlord's energy saving allowance, and a 5 per cent. reduced rate of VAT for the domestic installation of ground source heat pumps.

Disabled People

21. Mr. Goodman : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations in relation to the Inland Revenue he has received from groups representing people with disabilities. [165001]

Dawn Primarolo: Treasury Ministers receive a range of representations in relation to the Inland Revenue, including from groups representing people with disabilities.

Landfill Levy

22. Dr. Whitehead : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to recycle the proceeds of the landfill levy. [165002]

John Healey: The Government have confirmed that the announced increases in landfill tax will be recycled to businesses and local authorities. We have been developing ideas on recycling the extra revenue to business through close working with stakeholders. We also commissioned independent research that was published in February: "An assessment of options for

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recycling landfill tax revenue", available from the Treasury website. Budget 2004 has also announced that the Government are examining in detail a number of options and that consultations with stakeholders are continuing.

The Landfill Tax Credit Scheme (LTCS) has also been reformed. The value of the LTCS has been revalorised so that for 2004–05 it is worth £48.3 million. The Government have improved the LTCS following consultation with stakeholders so that its scope has been expanded to cover projects that conserve or promote biodiversity in natural habitats, providing more choice and increased support for species and habitats in the vicinity of landfill sites; and the administration of the scheme has been streamlined to provide greater transparency and accountability. There is also a fast track application system for small grants.

Global Fund

23. Mr. Sarwar : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans to increase the UK's contribution to the Global Fund. [165003]

John Healey: Funding for the Global Fund comes from the Budget of the Department for International Development, and is a matter for my hon. Friend , the Secretary of State for International Development. He has given £75 million so far, and has pledged a further £63 million to 2006 and a further US $80 million through to 2008.

The Department for International Development works in close collaboration with the Global Fund to ensure its maximum effectiveness. Good outcomes will encourage DFID, and other, to look at the possibility of increasing support to the fund.

Heroin Smuggling

24. David Cairns : To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps HM Customs and Excise has taken to prepare for the expected increase in the flow of heroin from Afghanistan. [165004]

John Healey: The Government continues to monitor the drugs situation in Afghanistan. HM Customs and Excise will be providing further assistance to the Counter Narcotics Police (CNP) in Afghanistan and UK Customs officers deliver training to the Afghan Police Academy. Customs also work closely with countries neighbouring Afghanistan to improve the drug interdiction capability of these key countries.

Civil Servants (Relocation)

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what analysis Sir Michael Lyons undertook on (a) the premises cost and (b) the employment cost of Government departments located in (i) the South East and (ii) Hampshire. [165049]

Mr. Boateng: The analysis of property and employment costs in the South East is set out in Chapter 3 of Sir Michael Lyons' report, "Well Placed to Deliver?—Shaping the Pattern of Government Service", published on 15 March.

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Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the proposals in the Lyons Report for the relocation of civil servants away from London and the South East on the house building targets proposed by the Barker Report; [165317]

(2) what assessment Sir Michael Lyons made of the impact on local employment markets of the relocation of Civil Service jobs to South West England and South Wales. [165320]

Mr. Boateng: This is a matter for departments' detailed business planning which they will be taking forward as part of the 2004 Spending Review.

Mr. Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the economic impact on the South Hampshire Priority Area for Economic Regeneration of the proposed relocation of Office for National Statistics staff from Titchfield. [165318]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Peter Walton to Mr. Mark Hoban, dated 1 April 2004:

The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on what assessment has been made of the economic impact on the South Hampshire Priority Area for Economic Regeneration of the proposed relocation of Office of National Statistics staff from Titchfield. I am replying in his absence. (165318)

The impact of the proposed relocation will be a factor taken into account in the 2004 Spending Review.

Civil Service

Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many members of the Senior Civil Service serve in (a) Inland Revenue, (b) head office functions of Inland Revenue, (c) the Large Business Office (CT), (d) International Division and (e) Special Compliance Office; and what proportion of them in each case are subject to performance-related pay arrangements. [152232]

Dawn Primarolo: The number of members of the Senior Civil Service (SCS) currently serving in (a) Inland Revenue is 292, (b) Head Office functions of Inland Revenue is 170, (c) the Large Business Office is 66, (d) International Division is 19, and (e) Special Compliance Office is 4. All members of the SCS are subject to performance related pay arrangements.

Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of redundancy costs arising from the reduction of 40,500 Civil Service jobs; and if he will make a statement. [163856]

Mr. Boateng: The Government is in discussions with the trade unions about civil service staff reductions through natural wastage and redeployment as well as redundancy. I will report further to the house on necessary costs arising from redundancy.

Close Company Dividends

Mr. Donaldson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to levy national insurance contributions on close company dividends; and if he will make a statement. [161524]

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Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 15 March 2004]: The Budget made no proposals along these lines.

Correspondence

Mr. McNamara: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letters of 20 November 2003 and 14 January 2004 from the hon. Member for Hull, North on the partial exemption method and the T element for universities. [163961]

John Healey: I have done so.

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to reply to the letter to him of 20 February from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire. [165131]

John Healey: There is no record of the correspondence being received at the Treasury. A copy has been requested and will be dealt with as soon as possible.

Debt Relief

Mrs. Calton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the extra funding for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries fund for top-up debt relief which the G8 committed at their meeting in Canada in 2002 has been provided. [158575]

John Healey: At the G8 summit in Kananaskis in 2002, donors pledged additional resources for the HIPC Trust Fund. The Trust Fund is administered by the World Bank and provides financial support to regional and sub-regional creditors—for example, the African Development Bank—enabling them to provide their share of debt relief commitments under the HIPC Initiative without endangering their lending capacity.

The pledges from 2002 currently amount to US $928 million. Total paid-in contributions up to January 2004 from old and new pledges to the HIPC Trust Fund amount to around $2.8 billion, of which $306 million is based on the pledges made in Kananaskis in 2002.

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