| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
10 Nov 2004 : Column 693W—continued
Private Finance Initiative
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the private finance initiative arrangements in which the Department is engaged; what the total cost of each arrangement is (a) over its lifetime and (b) in each year of its operation; and how the arrangement appears in the Department's public accounts. [193982]
Alun Michael: The Department is engaged in three private finance contracts.
The Environment Agency, which is a non-departmental body of Defra, has let two public/private
10 Nov 2004 : Column 694W
partnership contracts for flood risk management— (i) the Broadland Flood Alleviation Scheme in Norfolk and (ii) the Pevensey Bay Sea Defences in Sussex. Costs shown in the table are actual up to 2003–04 and estimates thereafter.
The Department has also agreed a private finance contract with Kajima plc for its offices at (iii) Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge. The site is shared and the contracted annual costs are apportioned between the site's occupants. Defra's accounts reflect the share of costs estimated to fall on the Department; the table shows the total contract costs.
10 Nov 2004 : Column 695W
In determining the accounting treatment of PFI arrangements, the Department's Resource Accounts follow United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice, including Financial Reporting Standards (FRSs) issued by the Accounting Standards Board (ASB). The specific guidance issued by the ASB for accounting for PFI is "Application Note F to FRS 5—Private Finance Initiative and Similar Contracts", as supplemented by the Treasury-issued "Technical Note No. 1 (Revised)—How to Account for PFI transactions".
The Department has also supported a number of PFI/PPP contracts which are not reportable in the Defra Resource Accounts, including infrastructure developments by British Waterways, the "SPIRIT" IT systems used by the Countryside Agency, and waste management schemes operated by the following local authorities:
These are noted here for completeness but information on these contracts is not held centrally by the Department and is reported separately by the contracting bodies.
10 Nov 2004 : Column 696W
PRIME MINISTER
Departmental Contracts
Pete Wishart: To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Office between (a) May 2001 and April 2002, (b) May 2002 and April 2003, (c) May 2003 and April 2004 and (d) May 2004 and the latest date for which figures are available, indicating in each case (i) the values of the contracts and (ii) the companies with which the contracts were placed; [196940]
(2) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which had previously held contracts with his Office (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Office in each of the past four years; [196941]
(3) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with his Department in each of the past three years. [196942]
The Prime Minister: For these purposes my Office is part of the Cabinet Office. The specific information requested cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate costs.
Gambling
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the occasions on which he has met representatives of (a) US casino operators, (b) British casino operators and (c) casino operators from other countries to discuss gambling issues, broken down by date of meeting. [195072]
The Prime Minister: As my official spokesman made clear on Monday 1 November 2004, I have not had any meetings with the industry in connection with the Gambling Bill.
Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, officials have undertaken an extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations, officials have corresponded with and met individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with the problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other public bodies and individuals, including members of the public with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, cost and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All meetings were undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Mr. Gray:
To ask the Prime Minister what contacts Mr.William Perrin of the Number 10 Policy Unit has had with companies involved in the (a) British and (b) US gaming industry in the past 24 months; and
10 Nov 2004 : Column 697W
whether he has undertaken fact-finding visits in the United States in the company of employees of the (i) British and (ii) US gaming industry. [195391]
The Prime Minister [holding answer 1 November]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him, the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Miss Kirkbride), and my right hon. Friend the Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) on 28 October, Official Report, column 1392W.
Since the publication of the report of the Gambling Review Body (Cm 5206) in July 2001, officials have undertaken an extensive programme of consultations with interested bodies about options and proposals for changes to gambling law in Great Britain. There have been two formal consultations, the first on the Review Body's report and the second on the draft clauses published for pre-legislative scrutiny in November 2003. In addition to these consultations, officials have corresponded with and met individual companies, trade associations, charities and other bodies concerned with the problem gambling or who benefit from lotteries, local authorities, trade unions, law enforcement agencies, academics and many other public bodies and individuals, including members of public with an interest. These contacts, designed to ensure that the Government's policy proposals are sound and take full account of all relevant benefits, cost and risks, have involved both Ministers and officials. All meetings were undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Management Code.
Iraq
Mr. Paul Marsden: To ask the Prime Minister what records were kept of discussions with President Bush on the timing of going to war with Iraq during his visit to the US commencing on 7 September 2002. [195894]
The Prime Minister: Records of ministerial discussions and meetings are maintained in accordance with Cabinet Office Records.
Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer from the Solicitor-General of 26 October 2004, Official Report, columns 1104–05W, on Iraq, what sources he used to make his assessment of whether Iraq (a) made false statements or omissions in its declarations and (b) complied with and co-operated with the terms of UN Resolution 1441; which omissions and false statements in Iraq's declaration of December 2002 which he considered to be fact at the time (i) have been confirmed and (ii) have not been confirmed subsequently as fact; and if he will make a statement. [197544]
The Prime Minister: I refer my hon. Friend to paragraph 385 of the report of the Butler Review of Intelligence on Weapons of Mass Destruction (HC898).
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |