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20 Dec 2004 : Column 1408W—continued
Exports (Manufactured Goods)
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department has made of the (a) value and (b) percentage of exports which comprised manufactured goods in the last year for which figures are available. [206038]
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 20 December 2004:
The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about exports of manufactured goods. I am replying in his absence. (206038)
The latest published information is for October 2004 when UK exports of manufactured goods were estimated at £13.2 billion on a seasonally adjusted Balance of Payments basis. This represented 55% of total exports of goods and services for the same month, which were estimated at £24.1 billion.
These estimates were published on 9 December. They may be found in Tables A13 and Al of the Monthly Review of External Trade Statistics, which is available on the National Statistics website at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=61
Financial Services Ombudsman
Mr. David: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how long on average it took the Financial Services Ombudsman to investigate complaints in the last year for which figures are available. [206860]
Mr. Timms: The Financial Ombudsman Service's Annual Review of the year 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 states that the average time taken to resolve a complaint by guided mediation, an informal settlement process, was four months. Cases where either party to the dispute requests a more formal review in order to settle the dispute took on average nine months
In this period, the Financial Ombudsman Service received a total of 97,901 complaints which were referred to adjudicators. The Service resolved 47 per cent. of these complaints within three months, 79 per cent. within six months and 91 per cent. within nine months.
Freedom of Information Act
Mr. Hayes: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library a list of documents held by his Department that (a) may be disclosed under provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and (b) have been destroyed within the preceding four months that pertain to (i) the European Constitution and (ii) the criteria for acceding to the euro. [204461]
Mr. Timms: The Freedom of Information Act establishes a general statutory right of access to information. Once implemented, on 1 January 2005, a person who writes to a public authority and asks for information will have the right to be told whether or not the authority has the information and, if so, to have that information communicated to him, subject to clearly defined exemptions.
Every piece of information held must be considered individually. To consider every document held pertaining to the European Constitution and the criteria for acceding to the euro, and to identify which might be disclosed, could only be achieved at disproportionate cost.
HM Treasury keeps records for as long as they are needed for administrative and business purposes. Records of enduring historical value are selected for permanent preservation under the guidance and supervision of the National Archives, on the basis of guidelines which are published on the National Archives website at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/recordsmanagement/advice/.
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1410W
Gross Domestic Product
Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues regarding the level of net taxes and social security contributions as a proportion of gross domestic product. [205997]
Dawn Primarolo: The Chancellor of the Exchequer regularly has discussions with Cabinet colleagues on public finance issues.
Mr. Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of the (a) proportion, (b) percentage and (c) value of gross domestic product that is contributed by the manufacturing industry. [206039]
Mr. Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Brian Donohoe, dated 20 December 2004:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on what the latest estimate is of the (a) proportion, (b) percentage and (c) value of gross domestic product that is contributed by the manufacturing industry. (206039)
Manufacturing comprised 15.7 per cent. of gross value added in 2003. This represents a contribution of £152.8 billion.
The contribution of industries to the economy is normally shown by their contribution to GVA. The difference between GVA and gross domestic product is taxes less subsidies on products (e.g. VAT, excise duties) which cannot be allocated across industries.
Human Rights Act
Mr. Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases have been brought against his Department under the Human Rights Act 1998; and what the cost has been in (a) legal fees to defend cases and (b) compensation payments. [202502]
Mr. Timms: No case has been brought against HM Treasury wholly or chiefly under the Human Rights Act 1998.
Income Tax (Wandsworth)
Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people living in the London borough of Wandsworth pay income tax at (a) the basic rate and (b) the higher rate; and if he will make a statement. [205912]
Dawn Primarolo: I refer my hon. Friend to tables 3.11 'Income and tax by region and country' and 3.14 'Total income by borough and district or unitary authority' on the IR website www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/income_distribution/menu.htm.
IT (Disciplinary Procedures)
Mr. George Osborne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department have (a) received official warnings and (b) faced disciplinary procedures following breaches of IT policy in each year since 1997. [205804]
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1411W
Mr. Timms: The number of staff in HM Treasury to (a) receive official warnings and (b) face disciplinary procedures following breaches of IT policy in each year since 1997 is as follows:
| Warnings | Disciplinary action | |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1 | 1 |
| 1998 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | 1 | 1 |
| 2000 | 3 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 | 1 |
| 2002 | 1 | 1 |
| 2003 | (27)0 | 1 |
| 2004 | 4 | 4 |
(27) The member of staff resigned during the disciplinary investigation
Special Advisers
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will list the attributable interviews that his Department's special advisers gave to (a) newspapers, (b) journals, (c) books and (d) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004; [201419]
(2) if he will list the attributable (a) articles and (b) contributions that his Department's special advisers made to (i) newspapers, (ii) journals, (iii) books and (iv) other media in their official capacity between 31 March 2003 and 31 March 2004. [201443]
Mr. Timms: All Special Advisers' contacts with the media are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Special Advisers.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether departmental special advisers have attended meetings with external (a) bodies and (b) individuals, in their official capacity and without Ministers, since May 1997. [203461]
Mr. Timms: Special Advisers hold meetings with a wide range of external representatives in their official capacity. All such meetings are conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether departmental special advisers have made speeches in their official capacity since May 1997. [203492]
Mr. Timms: Any speeches made by special advisers in an official capacity are conducted in accordance with the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) whether departmental special advisers have been responsible for authorising instances of departmental spending since May 1997; [203919]
(2) whether departmental special advisers have given instructions to permanent civil servants without the explicit authorisation of Ministers since May 1997. [203959]
20 Dec 2004 : Column 1412W
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (David Miliband) on 16 December 2004, Official Report, columns 1258–59W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether departmental special advisers have written to external (a) bodies and (b) individuals in their official capacity since May 1997. [204299]
Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the former Minister for the Cabinet Office (Ruth Kelly) on 14 December 2004, Official Report, column 1004W.
Mr. Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether departmental special advisers have made appearances before parliamentary select committees in their official capacity since May 1997. [204319]
Mr. Timms: Ed Balls sometimes accompanied the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Treasury Committee hearings.
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