---

28 Apr 2004 : Column 1112W—continued

Visas

Mr. Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many nationals of each country from which a visa is required applied for entry clearance to come to the United Kingdom for temporary purposes, including visitor and student applications in 2002; how many visas were issued for temporary purposes; how many recipients of these visas returned to their country of nationality before the visas expired; and how many applied (a) to remain permanently in the United Kingdom and (b) for political asylum. [162160]

Mr. Browne: I have been asked to reply.

The available information is given in the tables, which will be available in the Library.

Entry clearance data are available by country of application, which is not necessarily the country of the applicant's nationality.

The information on grants of settlement includes persons who entered the United Kingdom with an entry clearance leading to settlement, as well as some asylum seekers granted leave to remain in 2002 and in previous years; and the data on asylum applications is likely to include some persons who held no entry clearance.

No data are available on the number of persons who return to their country of nationality before their leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom expires, or on the number of holders of visas for temporary purposes who apply for asylum or for settlement.

Information on entry clearance, settlement and asylum applications are published in the quarterly asylum statistics and the annual Command Paper Control of Immigration Statistics 2002. Copies are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Work Permits

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for work permits are awaiting decision. [157113]

 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1113W
 

Mr. Browne: Information on the number of cases outstanding in Work Permits (UK) is not available. In 2003, performance in Work Permits (UK) was that 95 per cent. of all completed applications were turned around within 24 hours.

TREASURY

Debt

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the impact of a 1 per cent. rise in world interest rates on the debt of the world's poorest countries; how the extra debt burden would be met; and if he will make a statement. [169147]

John Healey: The bulk of the debt of the world's poorest countries is contracted at fixed interest rates on concessional terms. For example, concessional loans from the World Bank and African Development Bank carry a service charge of three quarters of 1 per cent. This would mitigate any rise in world interest rates.

Nevertheless, the potential for a rise in interest highlights the importance of full implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, both through postponing or abolishing the HIPC sunset clause to ensure that all eligible countries are able to benefit from debt relief, and through providing additional topping up relief wherever external factors—such as a change in the interest environment—have weakened a country's ability to service its debt, as was the case with Niger and Ethiopia recently.

This is why the International Finance Facility is so important. Ensuring long-term debt sustainability will require donor countries to make available significant additional resources in the form of grants rather than loans. IFF resources could also be used to provide further debt relief.

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is towards whether a country's debt burden accumulated under a brutal dictator should be written off; what representations he will make at forthcoming international financial fora meetings on this issue; and if he will make a statement. [169143]

John Healey: The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative is helping to provide a robust exit from unsustainable debt for the world's poorest countries, regardless of how that debt is accumulated. As part of this, the UK is calling for full topping-up to be provided when countries face exogenous shocks, in order to bring their debt ratios back to the agreed HIPC thresholds. The UK also supports consideration of extension of the Initiative so that countries yet to enter it are able to benefit from HIPC debt relief. A number of countries—many of which are in the process of trying to exit conflict have yet to reach Decision Point and benefit from HIPC debt relief. This could deliver an extra US$30 billion in debt relief. HIPC debt relief is delivered through the Paris Club of official creditors.

For countries facing external financing difficulties, but who are not eligible for the HIPC Initiative, the Paris Club's Evian Approach was adopted in October 2003 with the aim of tailoring solutions to each debtor's
 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1114W
 
specific circumstances. Iraq is likely to be one of the first countries to benefit from a comprehensive debt treatment under the Evian Approach.

Aviation Industry Tax Regime

Mr. Best: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with (a) the EU and (b) other international partners on reducing or eliminating tax concessions received by the aviation industry; and if he will make a statement. [168776]

John Healey: The Government have on-going discussion with the European Commission, other EU member states and with international bodies, such as the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), on the tax treatment of aviation and more generally on the most effective way of reducing the environmental impact of aviation.

The Government remain committed to applying the 'polluter pays' principle to civil aviation to reduce its environmental impact. Specific initiatives are set out in the Future of Air Transport White Paper published on 16 December 2003, including the aim of aviation being part of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme from 2008. The Government have been pursuing this with the European Commission and EU member states. At the meeting of ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection in February 2004 the UK supported the use of economic instruments such as emissions trading to tackle the climate change impact of aviation. In this year's Budget we announced that we will discuss with the European Commission options for introducing greater flexibility in European legislation regarding the application of economic instruments to aviation.

Business Taxation

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the business-related taxes introduced in each year since 1990, stating the revenue raised by each annually. [169164]

Dawn Primarolo: Changes to taxation are set out in successive Financial Statement and Budget Reports, alongside estimates of the effects on government revenues anticipated at the time of their introduction. Given the difficulties in defining the incidence of tax changes, and the fact that tax measures interact and have complex behavioural and economic effects, it is not generally possible to separately identify the revenue implications of past tax changes for current levels of revenues.

Strategic Rail Authority

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the occasions since December 2001 on which he met the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority. [163123]

Mr. Boateng: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. As was the case with previous administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings, as provided for under Exemption 7(b) of the Code of Practice on
 
28 Apr 2004 : Column 1115W
 
Access to Government Information. Treasury meetings are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code, as appropriate.

Tax Credits

Mr. Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many families in Preston have received child tax credit; [169681]

(2) how many families in Wigan have received child tax credit. [169356]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friends to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean) on 15 March 2004, Official Report, column 98W.

---