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10 Oct 2005 : Column 282W—continued

EU Budget

Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department's forecasts are for the (a) UK rebate and the (b) net UK contribution to the EU under (i) the original Commission proposal for the next budget period and (ii) the Luxembourg Presidency proposal for the next budget period. [15738]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: As the Prime Minister pointed out in his statement to the House on 20 June 2005, Official Report, columns 523–25, the Luxembourg Presidency proposal would have cost the UK €25 billion over the period of the next Financial Perspective. This estimate was calculated on the basis of European Commission figures. The Government's most recent forecast of the UK abatement and net contributions to the EC Budget, covering the period to 2007–08, is given in Table 3.2 (page 15) of the annual European Community Finances" White Paper (Cm 6580) published on 23 June 2005. These forecasts are based on the current Financial Perspective, which runs to December 2006. For the period from January 2007, we simply up-rate the present arrangements to allow for inflation for public expenditure planning purposes. This in no way implies any assumption by the Government as to what the outcome of the ongoing Financial Perspective negotiations might be.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment his Department has made of the statistical robustness of the methods used by Eurostat to estimate and allocate extra-regio shares of off-shore GDP. [15739]


 
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John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 10 October 2005:

Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the implications of the inclusion of extra-regio shares of off-shore GDP in the current EU budget proposals for (a) the UK net contribution and (b) the UK rebate. [15748]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: It is not possible to quantify the impact of the inclusion of offshore extra regio GVA on the UK net contribution and the UK abatement because Eurostat does not publish the data required for such a calculation.

Mr. Brady: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish his Department's forecasts or models showing contributions to and receipts from the EU for each of the member states which joined in 2004 under (a) the original Commission proposal for the next budget period and (b) the Luxembourg presidency proposal for the next budget period. [15749]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: The publication of forecasts of the contributions and receipts of other member states is a matter for their respective Governments.
 
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EU Public Procurement Directive

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment the Office of Government Commerce has made of the implementation of the EU Public Procurement Directive 2004/18/EC by other EU countries; and if he will make a statement. [15339]

John Healey: The Office of Government Commerce has not made any assessment of the implementation of the Public Procurement Directive in other EU countries. All member states have to take appropriate measures to implement the directive by 31 January 2006 in accordance with their own procedures.

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27th June 2005, Official Report, column 1291W, on the Public Procurement Directive, how many responses, including confidential responses, to the Office of Government Commerce Public Procurement Directive consultation specifically referred to Article 35 of the EU Procurement Directive; and how many of these responses called for (a) a derogation and (b) no derogation from Article 45 of the directive. [15497]

John Healey: Article 35 of the new Public Sector Procurement Directive (2004/18/EC) concerns notices and is not related to the derogation in Article 45 of that directive.

On Article 45, the Office of Government Commerce received 21 responses referring to this Article during its 2004 consultation. Of this total, which includes confidential responses, one called for the derogation to be implemented and two called for it not to be implemented. Following my answer on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1291W, copies of the responses to the consultation have been placed, except where confidentiality was requested, in the House Library. None of the three responses explicitly referring to implementation of the Article 45 derogation requested confidentiality.

Euro

Mr. Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with EU counterparts on arrangements countries wishing to leave the euro might adopt in terms of the currency they use. [15664]

Mr. Ivan Lewis: No such discussions have taken place. The terms of membership of the single currency for member states without a derogation are set out in Article 4 and Articles 116 through to 124 of the Treaty establishing the European Community.

Floor Space

Dr. Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequerwhat the total floor space area is of buildings owned and leased by (a) his Department and (b) its agencies. [15808]

John Healey: The available information is set out in the table.
 
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Department/AgencyTotal m(91)
HMRC and VOA(90)1,754,122
DMO1,700
ONS85,741
Royal Mint46,233
OGC13,625
GAD2,898
HMT31,200
NS&I(91)113,125


(90)This figure is a total figure of space owned or leased by HMRC and VOA. At the commencement of April 2001, the Customs & Excise and Inland Revenue transferred a vast majority of their estate to the STEPS contractor, and have occupied the space since then under separate PFI arrangements.
(91)This space is owned by NS&I and leased to Siemens Business Services in Blackpool, Durham and Glasgow.



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