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TRANSPORT

A3 (Hindhead)

Virginia Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the need for improvements to the A3 at Hindhead. [224954]

Mr. Jamieson: The Highways Agency gave a full assessment of the need for improvements to the A3 at Hindhead to the recent public inquiry into the published proposals for the scheme. The Inspector's Report is expected later this year.

Operation Stack

Mr. Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the economic effects on (a) the road haulage industry and (b) the Kent economy of the implementations of Operation Stack on the M20 between 17 March 2004 and 17 March 2005; [224455]
 
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(2) what representations he has received on the effects of Operation Stack on the M20; and if he will make a statement. [224456]

Mr. Jamieson: No economic assessment of the effects of Operation Stack between 17 March 2004 and 17 March 2005 on either the road haulage industry or the Kent economy has been undertaken by the Department or the Highways Agency.

The Department and the Highways Agency have received a number of representations from local residents, the Road Haulage Association, the Freight Transport Association and hon. Members, expressing their concerns about the impact of Operation Stack on the M20 and the local road network.

The Highways Agency is currently considering what alternative arrangements might be possible, both in the short and longer term, to reduce the delay for travellers.

PRIME MINISTER

Ministerial Visits

David Burnside: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to visit the Province during the period between the dissolution of Parliament and the date of the next general election. [224817]

The Prime Minister: For security reasons, my future engagements are announced as and when appropriate.

UK Trade

Mr. Brady: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the EU Trade Commissioner since his appointment relating to (a) trade policy and (b) UK domestic policy; what the dates were of each meeting and who was present at each. [224896]

The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 24 January 2005, Official Report, columns 93–94W.

Nagasaki

Llew Smith: To ask the Prime Minister when he received a letter from Sakve Shimohira on behalf of the Association for the Bereaved Families of the Atomic Bomb Dead in Nagasaki; and what response he has made. [221735]

The Prime Minister:[pursuant to his answer, 21 March, Offical Report, c. 569W]: I have received a letter in the form of a petition. I have asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to reply to the organisation via my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith).

TREASURY

Civil Servants (Relocation)

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many civil servants in his Department have
 
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(a) been relocated and (b) been agreed for relocation in the last 12 months; and to which areas of the United Kingdom. [223901]

Mr. Boateng: The Departments for which the Chancellor is responsible, including HM Treasury, HM Revenue and Customs and Office of National Statistics, have a target to relocate 5,050 posts out of London and the South East by 2010. HM Revenue and Customs will contribute over 80 per cent. towards this target.

In 2004–05, HM Revenue and Customs relocated 249 posts mainly to Cardiff, Bournemouth and Truro, and Office of National Statistics 12 posts to Newport.

Crown Estate

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate has raised from rents levied on salmon farmers in (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland in each of the last 10 years. [224944]

Mr. Timms: The information is as follows:
£000

Financial year	Orkney rent	Shetland rent	Total
1996	46	435	481
1997	53	488	540
1998	33	280	313
1999	81	790	872
2000	112	725	837
2001	121	800	921
2002	138	748	886
2003	33	350	384
2004	67	586	653

Note:
Figures for the financial year ending 31 March 2005 are not yet available.

Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Crown Estate has raised from charges levied on marinas and piers in Orkney and Shetland in each of the last 10 years. [224945]

Mr. Timms: The information requested is not available.

Customs and Excise (Droitwich Spa)

Mr. Luff: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether payment of excess fares to staff currently employed at the Customs and Excise office in Droitwich Spa and who are transferred to other offices will be subject to income tax. [224520]

Dawn Primarolo: The excess fares allowance (EFA) is designed to assist with the additional travelling costs staff incur when they are transferred to another workplace at public expense. The allowance is taxable and staff are personally liable for the tax. The Department will not gross up the allowance for tax since EFA payments assist staff with their personal liability: that is, their journey to and from their place of work.

EU Regulations

Mr. Davidson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) pursuant to his oral statement of 16 March 2005, Official Report, column 262, that half of major new regulations are from the European Union, on
 
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what data this assessment was based; and if he will make a statement on the new guidelines for the implementation of EU law in the UK; [224994]

(2) what proportion of (a) regulations and (b) the cost of regulation was accounted for by legislation wholly or partly implementing EU legislation in the last 10 years, according to (i) regulatory impact assessments carried out by the UK Government and (ii) assessments carried out by institutions of the European Union. [224995]

Mr. Timms: The Cabinet Office's Regulatory Impact Unit, who monitor compliance with the Regulatory Impact Assessment Process, estimate that around half of all new legislation with a significant impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector emanates from the EU.

From the beginning of 2005, the European Commission is submitting all legislation in its work programme to an impact assessment. Furthermore, under the UK Presidency of the European Union, the European Commission will launch pilots in order to develop a common methodology for the measurement of the administrative burden associated with new and existing EU laws. These initiatives should allow such impacts to be more accurately measured in the future.

With regards to the new guidelines for implementation of EU law in the UK, I would refer the hon. Member to paragraph 3.25 in Budget 2005, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library and on the HM Treasury website.

Financial Ombudsman Service

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will require pensions advisers to comply with compensation assessment findings by the Financial Ombudsman Service; and if he will make a statement. [224947]

Mr. Timms: Under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, all authorised firms and persons are required to comply with the decisions of the Financial Ombudsman Service. Under the Act, if the complainant notifies the ombudsman that he accepts the determination, it is binding on the respondent and the complainant and is final.

Iraq

Annabelle Ewing: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he had a role in the (a) framing, (b) drafting and (c) drawing up of the answer given by the Attorney-General on 17 March 2003 on Iraq. [218596]

Mr. Timms: The Chancellor of the Exchequer had no role in framing, drafting or drawing up the answer.

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