---

16 Jun 2005 : Column 579W—continued

Private Finance Initiative

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Department has (a) undertaken, (b) commissioned and (c) reviewed on the efficiency of private finance initiative; and if he will make a statement. [4530]

John Healey: HM Treasury assumed responsibility for PFI policy in April 2003. In July 2003 the Treasury published the document PFI: Meeting the Investment Challenge" (available on the HM Treasury website). This distilled the findings of a number of studies into PFI that were either undertaken or reviewed by HM Treasury. References for these studies are included within the document. HM Treasury have a framework agreement in place with Partnerships UK under which it commissions work on a variety of PFI subjects on an ad hoc basis. The Treasury also takes account of the findings from NAO and PAC reports on PFI as they are published.

Revenue and Customs

Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs has an obligation properly to check full and accurate information submitted by a taxpayer on or before 30 September before calculating the taxpayer's liability. [3933]

Dawn Primarolo: It is the responsibility of the person submitting the Self Assessment Return to ensure that it is, to the best of their knowledge, correct and complete. Obvious errors and mistakes are corrected. However there is no obligation on HM Revenue and Customs to check the information contained in any Self Assessment return before calculating the liability.

Mr. Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether HM Revenue and Customs, in calculating a taxpayer's liability when it receives a tax return by 30 September, is only able to check that taxpayer's return for obvious mistakes by opening an enquiry under the Taxes Acts. [3934]

Dawn Primarolo: The legislation governing the operation of self-assessment allows HM Revenue and Customs to correct any obvious errors or mistakes on a
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 580W
 
self-assessment tax return for a period of up to nine months after the date of receipt without the need to open an enquiry.

Tax Benefit Manual

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make available the latest Tax Benefit Manual and a copy of the summary minutes from recent Treasury Management Board meetings. [4536]

John Healey: The 2004–05 edition of the Tax Benefit Reference Manual is available in the House of Commons Library.

The minutes of Treasury Board meetings are not routinely disclosed as to do so would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Tax Credit (Overpayments)

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many non-pensioner families in (a) the London borough of Haringey and (b) Hornsey and Wood Green constituency were recipients of tax credits in each of the last three years; how many have been identified as having received overpayments; and if he will make a statement. [4800]

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 468W to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mrs. Jones).

Mr. Clappison: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many recipients of tax credits are being pursued for repayments as a result of overpayment of tax credits in (a) Hertsmere and (b) Hertfordshire. [4848]

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has published statistics that show estimates of the number of 2003–04 awards to families that were overpaid in each region, local authority and constituency at 5 April 2004, after finalisation. The estimates are based on samples and are subject to significant sampling uncertainty. The publication can be found on the HMRC website at: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/cwtc-pyts_geog0304.pdf

Details of how overpayments are recovered are provided in the Department's Code of Practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit."

Winter Fuel Allowance

Mrs. Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the amount of the pensioners' fuel allowance in line with changes in oil prices. [4574]

Mr. Timms: I have been asked to reply.

We have no such plans. The payment has risen from £20 in winter 1997–98 to £200 from winter 2000–01. It is a significant contribution towards fuel costs but is not intended to cover the full cost of fuel bills.
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 581W
 

PRIME MINISTER

Defence Systems and Equipment

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Prime Minister if he will be attending the Defence Systems and Equipment International Exhibition in September. [3944]

The Prime Minister: No.

Nuclear Inventories (Missing Material)

Harry Cohen: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the amounts of material missing from nuclear inventories which could be used in construction of a weapon in (a) the UK, (b) other NATO member states, (c) other countries with nuclear weapons and (d) other states with nuclear power; and if he will make a statement. [3110]

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.

The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), which regulates the security of nuclear material held by the UK civil nuclear industry, has recorded no theft of nuclear material from the industry. MOD is responsible for the security of the UK's inventory of non-civil nuclear material and there is no recorded theft of such material. Internationally, the security measures to prevent, and provide early warning of, the possible theft of nuclear material (e.g. by 'non-state actors') are a matter for the individual states concerned.

In addition, nuclear safeguards provide assurance that states (or nuclear facility operators on their behalf) do not divert nuclear material from declared peaceful uses. Euratom treaty safeguards are applied to all civil nuclear material in the UK and the European Commission's most recent report on its application of these safeguards concluded there were no indications that civil nuclear material in the EU (including UK and EU members of NATO) had been diverted from its declared uses http://europa.eu.int/comm/energy/nuclear/legislation/doc/2005_01_07_COM_2004_861_en.pdf.

So far as the application of international safeguards to inventories of nuclear material outside the UK are concerned, in addition to the Euratom treaty safeguards conclusions mentioned above, the definitive source is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), whose safeguards conclusions are published at the IAEA website http://www.iaea.org/OurWork/SV/Safeguards/es2003.html. However, such IAEA safeguards do not apply to all nuclear material in nuclear-weapon states nor to all material in states which are not party to the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (the NPT).

Prime Minister

Mr. Allen: To ask the Prime Minister what the procedure is for the selection of a new Prime Minister in the event of an incumbent retiring before a General Election; and if he will review the procedure. [3343]

The Prime Minister: Her Majesty the Queen appoints the Prime Minister, but the procedure for selecting a new Party Leader would be a matter for the political party concerned.
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 582W
 

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

School Meals

10. Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to assist in improving school meals by providing additional training for catering staff. [4751]

Jacqui Smith: Together with the Food Standards Agency and People 1st, we have developed a Vocationally Related Qualification (VRQ) at Level 1 in Healthier Catering, which will give school cooks and caterers the knowledge and skills to deliver a healthier meals service. We are also working with our external partners to review and build on other qualifications that are currently available to ensure we have a ladder of qualifications to meet the skills needs of all catering staff.

15. Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will receive a deputation of school children from Millbrook Junior School in Kettering to discuss provision of healthier food in schools. [4758]

Maria Eagle: I would be happy to meet a deputation of children from Millbrook Junior School.

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had on improving the skills of those who work in school kitchens; and whether she intends to issue guidance to local authorities on this matter. [4771]

Jacqui Smith: My officials have had discussions with a wide range of bodies including the People 1st (the Sector Skills Council for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries), the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Teacher Training Agency, the Learning and Skills Council and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. We have no current plans to issue guidance to local authorities but, as my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for children and families in her response to an adjournment debate on 23 May 2005, Official Report, column 535, said, we strongly encourage schools and LEAs to consider releasing support staff, as many already do, to attend training and development, especially where it is job related.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 477W, on school meals, whether she plans to develop a level 2 qualification. [5016]

Jacqui Smith: There are currently a range of catering qualifications available at levels 2 and 3. We are currently working with People 1st, the Food Standards Agency, the Teacher Training Agency, the LSC and the QCA to review and build on the qualifications that are available to ensure we have a ladder of qualifications, which includes information on nutritional standards where appropriate, and will meet the skills needs of all catering staff.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 477W, on school meals, (1) what
 
16 Jun 2005 : Column 583W
 
procedures are in place to monitor whether she needs to use her statutory powers to issue a directive to a school that is failing to meet current nutritional standards; [5017]

(2) how many directions she has issued to schools that have failed to meet the current nutritional standard, in each year since the current nutritional standards came into force. [5019]

Jacqui Smith: Local authorities or, where the budget for school lunches is delegated to them, school governing bodies have a duty to ensure that school lunch nutritional standards are being met. We are developing monitoring arrangements in support of our drive to improve school meals.

Support for healthy eating will be one aspect of children's services joint area reviews at local authority level.

Ofsted will, from September, inspect and report on schools' contribution to the 'being healthy' aspect of pupil well-being. School meals will be considered as part of this.

A separate sample survey linked to the proposed new standards is planned for the autumn.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 478W, on school meals, what the annual budget is of (a) the School Food Trust and (b) the School Meals Review Panel. [5020]

Jacqui Smith: As I have previously announced, the School Food Trust will receive an annual budget of £5 million over the next three years. The School Meals Review Panel is an advisory group and does not have a fixed budget, although members of the panel are reimbursed for their expenditure on travel and subsistence when attending meetings.

Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 477W, on school meals, when the school meals review panel will begin the examination of other food and drink sold on school premises. [5022]

Jacqui Smith: The top priority for the school meals review panel is to consider how to tighten nutritional standards that apply to school lunches as, for many children, this is often the main meal of the day.

However, the panel will also consider whether and how these standards might be applied to other aspects of food and drink in schools.

---