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Cotton Oil Imports

Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) value and (b) volume of cotton oil imports into the UK was in the last year for which records are available, broken down by country of origin. [186055]

John Healey: Provisional estimates for annual imports for 2003 were published by HM Customs and Excise in the Overseas Trade Statistics in February 2004. The final (revised) figures will be available from the HMCE www.uktradeinfo.com website in August 2004 (when final figures for 2003 are published). The value and volume of cotton oil imported into the UK in 2003, broken down by country of origin are:
Imports of cotton seed oil and its fractions, crude and refined general trade: 2003 1

Country of dispatch/ origin(39)	Statistical value (£1,000)	Netmass (tonnes)
Imports from EU countries
France	13.1	2.1
Netherlands	139.6	269.6
Germany	2.7	1.7
Italy	47.7	49.6
Total EU	203.1	322.9
Imports from non-EU countries
Canada	5.9	2.7
China	8.1	6.3
USA	170.1	80.0
Total non-EU	184.0	89.1
All countries total	387.2	412.0

⁽³⁸⁾ Provisional figures, may be subject to revision.
⁽³⁹⁾ Country of origin for non-EU imports; country of dispatch for EU imports (country of origin not available for EU trade).
Source:
Overseas Trade Statistics, HM Customs and Excise

Crown Estate

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate spent on (a) public relations and (b) corporate hospitality in the last financial year. [185970]

 
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Ruth Kelly: The information for financial year 2003–04 is as follows:

(a) 267,452 ¹

(b) 9,456.

¹ Public Relations expenditure is defined as the Communication Department's budget less staff costs and production of the Annual Report and Accounts.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost was of producing the Crown Estate's 2004 annual report. [185972]

Ruth Kelly: The Crown Estate annual report and accounts 2004 has only recently been completed and distributed. Final costs have not yet been determined.

Departmental Agency Staff

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total amount paid by his Department to employment agencies for the supply of temporary staff was in financial year 2003–04. [178911]

Ruth Kelly: The total cost incurred by HM Treasury for the supply of temporary staff by employment agencies in the financial year 2003–04 was £1,386,000.

Departmental Vehicles

Mr. Kidney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many road vehicles are operated by the Department and its agencies; how many personal injury accidents involving road vehicles operated by the Department have occurred within each of the last five years; and what the Department's policy is for managing work-related road safety. [185925]

Ruth Kelly: Total number of road vehicles operated by the Chancellor's Departments and agencies is 4,785.

The number of Personal Injury Accidents in each of the last five years was:

	Number
1999–2000	47
2000–01	44
2001–02	31
2002–03	31
2003–04	32

The Chancellor's Departments and agencies are committed to the delivery of their obligations under Health and Safety legislation with regard to driving on official business.

Economic Growth

Mr. Willetts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the British economy grew on average per annum (a) in total and (b) per capita in the period (i) 1993 to 1998 and (ii) 1998 to 2003. [178846]

Ruth Kelly: This information is set out in the following table.
 
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Percentage

	Average GDP growth per annum		Average GDP growth per capita per annum
	Real terms (chained-volumes)	Nominal terms (current prices)	Real terms (chained-volumes)	Nominal terms (current prices)
1997–2003	2.8	5.4	2.4	5.0
1992–97	2.7	5.6	2.4	5.3
1998–2003	2.7	5.2	2.3	4.9
1993–98	3.1	5.9	2.9	5.6

Source:
Treasury Economic Statistics (ONS)

Employment Tribunals

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases against his Department, and the agencies for which it is responsible have been brought to employment tribunals in each year since 1997 in relation to (a) equal pay, (b) sex discrimination, (c) race
 
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discrimination, (d) disability discrimination and (e) unfair dismissal; how many cost awards were made against (i) respondents and (ii) applicants; and how much has been spent (A) settling and (B) contesting claims. [181468]

Ruth Kelly: The information requested is as follows:

Cases to ET	Number of cases	Cost awards made against respondents (£000)	Cost awards made against applicants (£000)
Equal Pay	1	-	-
Racial Discrimination	4	5,000	-
Sex Discrimination	2	500	-
Disability Discrimination	5	-	-
Unfair Dismissal	11	-	14,000
Total	23	5,500	14,000

(A) and (B) Settling and contesting claims £000

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	Total
Settlement Cost	3,000	5,000	0	11,293	47,500	15,148	19,800	101,741
Contesting Claims	4,700	117,374	0	23,185	32,386	19,773	7,700	205,118
Total:	7,700	122,374	0	34,478	79,886	34,921	27,500	306,859

Note:
Settlement and contesting costs not available for one case in 2000 and 2001 and 2003

Endowment Mortgages (Compensation)

Mr. Spring: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to compensate people who bought endowment mortgages before the system of regulation covering the sale of these came into existence and who cannot pursue a claim through the normal regulatory channels; and if he will make a statement. [185966]

Ruth Kelly: The Government supports the Financial Services Authority's proposal to conduct further analysis to identify those people who were sold an endowment policy before 29 April 1988 that is forecast to shortfall. The Government also supports the efforts of the FSA and industry to explore the scope for voluntary action to help people in this situation. The Government have no plans to compensate people who bought endowment mortgages before 29 April 1988.

EU Financial Regulation

Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the (a) proportion and (b) cost of new financial sector regulation that derives from the EU. [186175]

Ruth Kelly: As stated by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Mansion House speech of 16 June 2004, three-quarters of financial services regulation is derived from the European Union. There is no estimate available of the total cost in the UK of financial sector regulation derived from the EU.

European Single Market

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect on UK consumers of (a) competition and the (b) free flow of trade as a result of membership of the European single market; and if he will make a statement. [184522]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.

The European Commission estimates that in the 10 years after 1992 the internal market created 2.5 million jobs in the EU and increased its GDP by €877 billion. This amounts to an average €5,700 of extra income per household (source: European Commission (2002) "The Internal Market—10 Years without Frontiers"). In addition to increased jobs and prosperity, the Commission report points to benefits to consumers from the increased choice, price competition, and product quality and innovation in the world's largest single market. For example, according to a Commission survey, 80 per cent. of EU citizens believed that the internal market has led to wider choice and 67 per cent. that it had led to improved quality.

Mr. Foulkes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effects on the compliance and development costs to (a) British exporters and (b) British consumers of EU single market rules which allow products approved in one EU country to be sold across the EU. [184523]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I have been asked to reply.

British exporters have benefited from reduced compliance and development costs, resulting from the removal of frontier controls and from rules that allow goods to be traded across the EU rather than complying with 25 different sets of national laws. The 1988 Cecchini Report ("The Cost Of non-Europe") estimated the cost saving to EU business of removal of internal
 
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frontier controls alone in a Union then consisting of 12 members states at €8 billion. In its report, "The Internal Market—10 Years without Frontiers" (European Commission (2002)), the European Commission notes that before the frontiers came down, the tax system alone required 60 million customs clearance documents annually: these are no longer needed. The Commission's report notes how a strong, competitive internal market has helped firms become more productive and efficient and so enhanced their ability to compete in global markets. It sets out benefits to consumers from the greater prosperity, choice, price competition and product innovation that the world's largest internal market brings.

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