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1 Apr 2004 : Column 1683W—continued
Departmental Buildings (Asbestos)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the buildings occupied by staff of (a) his Department and (b) agencies which require (i) remedial work on, and (ii) removal of, asbestos; what that work will cost; and what budgets are available for (A) this work and (B) further asbestos surveys in (1) 2004 and (2) 2005. [159351]
Ruth Kelly: The information regarding those of the Chancellor's Departments affected is set out below. Information on buildings identified as containing asbestos was placed in the Library of the House in response to a question from the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) in July 2003, Official Report, column 301W.
The majority of those buildings housing staff from the Inland Revenue, Customs and Excise and the Valuation Office have been owned by Mapeley Ltd. under the STEPS contract since April 2001. Mapeley have responsibility under the contract to manage the STEPS
1 Apr 2004 : Column 1684W
estate in respect of the new Asbestos Regulations. The costs of any works and surveys associated with asbestos will therefore be met by them.
Six buildings on the Royal Mint site are affected. An external study, costing up to £1,500, will be undertaken this year to review further the existing control systems, and to determine what work may be required to comply with the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002. No specific budget has been earmarked for this work as costs will be covered by the general budget provisions for building maintenance.
In the Office for National Statistics all remedial or removal work identified in earlier asbestos surveys has been carried out. New surveys and management plans are being completed, at a cost of £81,000, and will identify any further work required.
A recent survey in the Office of Government Commerce has revealed asbestos at the Edinburgh office. A further survey is being carried out to determine the best means of treatment, and the cost. These costs will be met from normal estates and maintenance budgets.
Departmental Communications
Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many staff are employed in the Department to work in the communications field, broken down by (a) Government Information and Communication Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) others; [158153]
- (2) what the total expenditure on communications for the Department has been in 2003–04, broken down by expenditure on (a) Government Information and Communications Service staff and (b) other staff, broken down by (i) press officers.(ii) special advisers and (iii) others. [158204]
Ruth Kelly: The Treasury currently employs nine press officers to work on communications, of which seven are GIGS staff, and one Special Adviser, and thirteen other members of staff to work on Treasury publications, managing the Treasury's external website, and related administration.
The total expenditure for these staff to date in 2003–04 is set out in the following table:
| £ | |
|---|---|
| GIGS staff costs | 340,270 |
| Other press officer costs | 127,175 |
| Other staff costs | 368,585 |
Details of the costs of Special Advisers are given on an annual basis and information for the financial year 2003–04 will be published in due course.
Departmental Policies (Sustainable Development)
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of copying paper used by his Department in 2002–03 was from recycled sources; and how much post-consumer waste this paper contained. [165532]
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Ruth Kelly: All copying paper used by HM Treasury during the period 2002–03 was 100 per cent. recycled and contained 100 per cent. post-consumer waste.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he has put in place to ensure that his Department meets the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that all copying paper bought by the Department is 100 per cent. recycled with a minimum of 75 per cent. post-consumer waste content. [165534]
Ruth Kelly: Currently all copying paper bought by HM Treasury is 100 per cent. recycled and contains 100 per cent. post-consumer waste.
Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list his Department's main suppliers of (a) copier paper, (b) stationery, (c) envelopes and (d) paper for reports; what the name of the paper used is in each case; and what the (i) recycled and (ii) post-consumer recycled content of each type of paper is in each case. [165537]
Ruth Kelly: All stationery, including copier paper, envelopes and paper for reports is bought from Banner. The paper is called "Evolve Office 80 g/m2". This paper is 100 per cent. recycled and contains 100 per cent. post-consumer waste.
Horse Passports
Mr. Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether other EU countries charge VAT on horse passports. [165193]
John Healey: All member states are required to reflect the provisions of EU Directive's within their own national legislation. Therefore, horse passports issued by a public body under a statutory regime would be outside the scope of VAT. Other bodies supplying goods or services for payment normally fall within the scope of VAT.
Illegal Meat Imports
Mr. Whittingdale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much illegal meat has been seized by Customs and Excise in each of the last 10 years, broken down by species. [165198]
John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) on 3 December 2003, Official Report, column 59–60W.
The specific information requested is not available. Seizures identified according to type in DEFRA Annual Review are reproduced in the following table.
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Inheritance Tax
Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what amount of inheritance tax revenue was raised from estates of (a) less than £300,000, (b) £300,000 to £400,000, (c) £400,000 to £500,000, (d) £500,000 to £600,000, (e) £600,000 to £700,000, (f) £700,000 to £800,000, (g) £800,000 to £900,000, (h) £900,000 to £1 million and (i) over £1 million in the last year for which figures are available; and in each case what percentage the amount was of the total inheritance tax revenue raised. [163022]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 22 March 2004]: I refer the hon. Member to the statistics published in Table 12.3 on the Inland Revenue's website at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/inheritance tax/03ir123F.pdf.
Iraq
Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Government's most recent estimate is of the cost of the British occupation of Iraq in each month since the start of the conflict. [164977]
Mr. Dalyell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost to the UK of operations in Iraq in March 2004. [165591]
Mr. Boateng [holding answer 31 March 2004]: The Treasury does not estimate costs for Iraq in the manner requested.
The Chancellor set aside £3 billion in Budget 2003 to cover the cost of operations in Iraq, £1 billion was drawn down in the Spring Supplementary Estimate for 2002–03. The remaining £2 billion of this special reserve has been carried forward to 2003–04.
In the recent PBR the Chancellor announced a further £500 million set aside for the financial year 2003–04 and a further £300 million for 2004–05 as a prudent allowance to cover Iraq our continuing international commitment to the war on terrorism.
London
Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest assessment is of the percentage of the UK Gross Domestic Product generated in London in each year since 1997–98. [151980]
Ruth Kelly [holding answer 30 January 2004]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
1 Apr 2004 : Column 1687W
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Simon Hughes, dated 1 April 2004:
- As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your questions on the percentage of UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) generated in London since 1997. (151980)
- The estimates in the attached tables are based on the regional Gross Value Added 1 (GVA) estimates for 2001 and earlier years published in August 2003. These are available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=7359
| UK GVA(£ million) | London GVA (£ million) | London GVA as a percentage of UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 705,851 | 111,117 | 16 |
| 1998 | 749,688 | 120,271 | 16 |
| 1999 | 781,847 | 127,124 | 16 |
| 2000 | 816,111 | 133,179 | 16 |
| 2001 | 851,408 | 140,354 | 16 |
| UK GVA (£ million) | London GVA (£ million) | London GVA as a percentage of UK | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 705,851 | 126,567 | 18 |
| 1998 | 749,688 | 137,402 | 18 |
| 1999 | 781,847 | 145,413 | 19 |
| 2000 | 816,111 | 154,182 | 19 |
| 2001 | 851,408 | 162,501 | 19 |
1 Under the European System of Accounts 95 (ESA95) the economic estimates that are defined as Gross Value Added (GVA) at basic prices are broadly equivalent to what has been historically known as GDP at factor cost. ONS has effected the change frtim GDP at factor cost to GVA at basic prices as part of implementation of ESA95, along with all other EU countries. GVA at basic prices includes the effects of taxes less subsidies on production, but excludes taxes and subsidies on products, which are included in GDP at market prices under ESA95.
2 Estimates of GVA in Table A are on a residence basis, where the income of commuters is allocated to where they live, rather than their place of work. Estimates in Table B are on a workplace basis where the income of commuters is allocated to their place of work, rather than where they live.
3 GVA at current basic prices, excluding Extra-Regio. Extra Regio is that part of the UK's economic territory which cannot be allocated to any specific region. The contribution to UK GVA of UK embassies abroad and UK forces stationed overseas is included in Extra-Regio, along with the element of GVA relating to activities taking place on the continental shelf.
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