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Ministers' Official Residences

Lord Hill-Norton asked Her Majesty's Government:

Which Ministers are currently occupying houses, flats or apartments owned by or leased to the Government, and what notional rent has been assessed by each of these.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The following Ministers are currently occupying properties owned or leased by the Government:

Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Chancellor of the Exchequer

Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary

President of the Board of Trade

Secretary of State for Scotland

Secretary of State for Defence

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland

Paul Murphy Esq MP

Adam Ingram Esq MP

Tony Worthington Esq MP

Lord Dubs

Ministers are not charged rent but are liable to tax on the value of services provided up to a limit of 10 per cent. of their ministerial salary.

People's Panels

The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:

From what source their proposed people's panels will be funded and what will be their estimated annual budget.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We are currently looking at ways of consulting and involving citizens more in decisions about the delivery of public services. Ideas are at an early stage and I am therefore unable to

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA120

give estimated costs; but costs to the Cabinet Office would be met from within existing budgets.

The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:

What impact they anticipate that their proposed people's panels will have upon the framing and determination of government policy.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: We are considering ways of consulting and involving citizens more in decisions about the delivery of public services. We will use the results of consultation and research to shed light on areas that need improvement.

Broadcasting: Consultation on Events

Lord Inglewood asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many bodies and organisations responsible for promoting and staging non-sporting events they are consulting formally as part of their consultation on events under Part IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As part of his review of listing under Section IV of the Broadcasting Act 1996, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State is consulting interested parties about the criteria which might guide the listing process. At this stage the review is concerned with the listing of major sporting occasions, and we have not sought the views of those specifically responsible for non-sporting events. Sports events are the focus of public attention in this context and it is in respect of them that the most pressing issues arise.

National Lottery and 49s Game

Lord Burnham asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether National Lottery sales have been affected by the introduction of the 49s game in some betting shops.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The 49s game was launched by the bookmaking industry in December 1996. The Government have conducted no research on the impact of the 49s game on National Lottery sales.

National Lottery: Rollover Draws

Lord Burnham asked Her Majesty's Government:

How, in percentage terms, the last six National Lottery rollover draws have affected sales of lottery tickets.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: This is an operational matter for Camelot Group plc. I have, therefore, asked the Director General of the National Lottery to write to the noble Lord and copies of his response will be placed in the Library of the House.

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA121

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance: Taxation Effect

Lord Morris of Castle Morris asked Her Majesty's Government:

What would be the revenue effects of taxing disability living allowance and attendance allowance (a) at the lower rate of income tax; (b) at the standard rate of income tax; and (c) at the higher rate of income tax.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Information for 1997-98 is given in the following table.

Maximum tax charge on benefit	Yield in a full year from taxing benefit £m
Disability Living Allowance:
(a) lower rate (20 per cent.)	275
(b) basic rate (23 per cent.)	300
(c) higher rate (40 per cent.)	(2)300
Attendance Allowance:
(a) lower rate (20 per cent.)	230
(b) basic rate (23 per cent.)	240
(c) higher rate (40 per cent.)	(2)240

¹ The yield for each benefit from a maximum tax charge of 23 per cent. is approximately the same as from a maximum tax charge of 40 per cent. Although it is possible for an individual receiving benefit to be liable at the higher rate, detailed information on such individuals is not available.

VAT Reduction on Domestic Fuel: Effect on Benefits

Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:

To what extent they will recoup the loss of revenue consequent upon the reduction in VAT on domestic fuels by its effect on the RPI and thereby upon index-linked benefits.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: The reduction of VAT on fuel and power for domestic users from 8 per cent. to 5 per cent., will cost around £500 million per annum in lost revenue. The lower RPI that results means that in cash terms total benefit spending will rise roughly £100 million less in 1998-99 than it would have done. But benefits are uprated to reflect the changes in prices paid for goods and services, so the real value of benefits is not affected.

Task Forces

The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:

(a) how many task forces they have established in the period from 1 May 1997 to 29 July 1997; (b) what is the remit of each; (c) what is the membership of each; (d) how each is to be funded; (e) to whom or to which government department each is to report, and (f) to whom or to which government department each is accountable.

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA122

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: As at 29 July, we had announced the following task forces:

Task Force on Youth Justice

Membership

Mr. Norman Warner, Senior Policy Adviser, Home Office (Chair)

Mr. William Atkinson, Headmaster, Phoenix High School, Shepherds Bush

Mr. Jonathan Black, Magistrates' Clerk, Hampshire

Ms Cathryn Bowker, Youth Court, Prosecutor, Brighton

Mr. Tony Butler, Chief Constable, Gloucestershire

Mr. Paul Cavadino, Penal Affairs Consortium

Ms Anne Fuller, Lay magistrate, Outer London

Mr. Cedric Fullwood, Chief Probation Officer, Manchester

Mr. Ian Johnston, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police

Mr. David Norgrove, Marks and Spencer plc

Ms Denise Platt, Local Government Association

Ms Teresa Reynolds, Victim Support

Ms Joan Webster, Chief Superintendent, Gwent

Mr. Geoffrey Wicks, Stipendiary magistrate, Inner London

Mr. Andrew Williamson, Director of Social Services, Devon

Mr. John Lyon, Home Office

Mr. Tom Luce, Department of Health

Ms Jenny Rowe, Lord Chancellor's Department

The remit of the task force is to advise Home Office Ministers on government proposals for the development of youth justice policies and, in particular, to provide advice on taking forward an action plan as agreed by the interdepartmental ministerial group on youth justice.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports and is accountable to Home Office Ministers.

The President of the Board of Trade's Competitiveness Advisory Group

Membership

The right honourable Margaret Beckett MP, President of the Board of Trade (Chair)

Sir Jeremy Beecham, Chairman, Local Government Association

Mr. C K Chow, Chief Executive, GKN plc

Sir Terence Conran, Chairman, Conran Holdings Ltd

Mr. John Edmonds, General Secretary, GMB

Dr. Chris Evans, Director, Merlin Scientific Services Ltd

Sir Richard Evans, Chief Executive, British Aerospace plc

Mr. Ian Gibson, Managing Director & Chief Executive, Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd.

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Mr. Anthony Greener, Chairman, Guinness plc

Ms Jan Hall, European Chief Executive, The GGT Group plc

Mr. Terry Leahy, Chief Executive, Tesco plc

Ms Judy Lever, Director, Blooming Marvellous Ltd

Dr. Tony Marchington; Chief Executive, Oxford Molecular Group plc

Mr. John Monks, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress

Ms Rosemary Radcliffe, Head of Economics, Coopers & Lybrand

Mr. Bryan Sanderson, Managing Director, BP plc

Mr. Cob Stenham, Chairman, Arjo Wiggins Appleton plc

Sir Richard Sykes, Chairman and Chief Executive, Glaxo Wellcome plc

Mr. Adair Turner, Director General, Confederation of British Industry

Mr. Perween Warsi, Managing Director, S&A Foods Ltd.

The group's remit is to advise the President of the Board of Trade on the needs of business at home and abroad so that they may be taken into account by Government when developing and implementing policies to improve UK competitiveness.

The members of the advisory group receive no payment. The group reports to and is accountable to the President of the Board of Trade.

Interdepartmental Task Force on Competitiveness in Europe

Membership

Lord Simon of Highbury, Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe (Chair)

Ministerial and official representatives of:

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

HM Treasury

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Home Office

Department for Education and Employment

Department of Trade and Industry

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Scottish Office

Ministry of Defence

Department of Social Security

The remit of the task force is to advise on the implementation of the Government's manifesto objectives to complete the single market and promote flexible labour markets across the EU.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force will report to Cabinet Ministers and is accountable to DTI Ministers.

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA124

Low Pay Commission

Membership

Professor George Bain, Principal, London Business School (Chair)

Mr. David Metcalf, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics

Ms Stephanie Monk, Director of Human Resources, Granada Group

Mr. Paul Gates, General Secretary, Knitwear, Footwear and Apparel Trades Union

Mr. John Cridland, Director of Human Resources Policy, Confederation of British Industry

Ms Rita Donaghy, National Executive Council, UNISON

Mr. Lawrence Dewar, Chief Executive, Scottish Grocers' Federation

Mr. Bill Callaghan, Head, TUC Economic and Social Affairs Department

Mr. William Brown, Professor of Industrial Relations, University of Cambridge

The commission's remit is to recommend to the Government the initial rate at which the minimum wage might be introduced and other matters referred to it by Ministers.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The commission will make its recommendations to the Prime Minister with the DTI acting as its sponsoring department.

Export Forum

Membership

Mr. Tom Harris, Department of Trade and Industry (Chair)

Sir Andrew Burns, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Alternative Chair)

Mr. Peter Godwin, British Overseas Trade Board

Mr. Robert Beresford, Overseas Project Board

Mr. Ken Jackson, Trades Union Congress

Mr. Tony Bastock, Chemical Industries Association

Ms Glenys Goucher, Business Link, North Derbyshire

Mr. Ron Taylor, British Chambers of Commerce

Mr. Ian Campbell, Institute of Export

Mr. Emmanuel Cotter, North London Business Development Agency

Mr. Richard Brown, Aston Fittings Manufacturing Ltd

Ms Dorothy MacKenzie, Dragon International Consulting

Mr. Garry Campkin, Confederation of British Industry

Mr. Ted Dilley, Cable and Wireless

Mr. Hector Munro, British Council

Mr. Roy Leighton, British Invisibles

Mr. Victor Lunn-Rockcliffe, Export Credits Guarantee Department

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA125

Mr. David Orchard, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

Mr. Richard Wood, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

Mr. Mark Conaty, HM Treasury

Mr. Martin Briggs, Government Office for the East Midlands

Mr. David Fawcett, Department for Culture, Media and Sport

The forum's remit is to carry out a full assessment of how well the UK's export programmes work, by looking at the strengths and weaknesses of official support for trade fairs, trade missions, identifying leads, export market research, UK firms bidding for overseas projects, and other export promotion activities; and examining the current arrangements for interdepartmental consultation, the current arrangements for consultation with business, the interface between the overseas trade services and business links, the present system for establishing market and sectoral priorities, and the marketing and branding of official export promotional services.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The forum will report and is accountable to DTI and FCO Ministers.

EU Presidency Task Force

Membership

The right honourable Robin Cook MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Chair)

Ministers of State from other government departments, with the flexibility to invite others with an interest in presidency business.

The remit of the task force is to ensure a co-ordinated and coherent policy approach to the UK's presidency of the European Union (1 January to 30 June 1998); to maintain the right balance between the achievement of UK national objectives and chairing the EU's business in an efficient and impartial way; to set a presentational strategy for the presidency; and to respond rapidly to the unexpected during the presidency.

No extra costs are involved. The task force reports and is accountable to the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

New Deal Task Force

Membership

Sir Peter Davis, Group Chief Executive, Prudential

Mr. Shami Ahmed, Joe Bloggs Jeans Ltd.

Mr. Christopher Haskins, Chairman, Northern Foods plc

Mr. Ian McAllister, Chairman, Ford UK

Ms Stephanie Monk, Group Human Resources Director, Granada Group plc

Mr. John Roberts CBE, Chief Executive, The Post Office and member of TEC Assessors Committee

Mr. Michael Wemms, Managing Director, Operations, Tesco plc

Mr. Rodney Bickerstaffe, General Secretary, Unison

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA126

Sir John Harman, Leader, Kirklees Metropolitan Council

Ms Jenny Shackleton, Principal, Wirral Metropolitan College

Ms Helen Edwards, Chief Executive, NACRO

Mr. Tom Shebbeare, Director, Prince's Trust

Dr. Alison Millward, Chair, Groundwork Black Country

Mr. Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive, Centrepoint

Mr. Bill Morris, General Secretary, Transport and General Workers' Union

The remit of the task force is to give advice to the Cabinet committee on welfare to work, chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on the key issues of programme policy and design; to market the new deal, particularly to the business and voluntary sectors and to stimulate action and commitment in their sectors; to receive regular reports on, and advise on, progress implementation of the new deal, to flag up emerging issues and to advise on their resolution.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

Scottish Advisory Task Force on the New Deal

Membership

Mr. Ian Robinson, Chief Executive, Scottish Power (Chair)

Mr. Jim Stretton, Chief Executive, Standard Life

Mr. Fred Goodwin, Chief Executive, Clydesdale Bank plc

Mr. Bill Neish, Manager, Marks and Spencer, Argyle Street

Mr. Hugh Henry, Leader, Renfrewshire District Council

Mr. Keith Geddes, Leader, City of Edinburgh Council

Mr. Michael Leech, Principal, Stevenson College

Mr. Alan Sinclair, Chief Executive, The Wise Group

Mr. Raymond Young OBE, Director, Forward Scotland

Mr. Martin Sime, Chief Executive, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

Mr. John Rafferty, Director, National Lottery Charities Board (Scotland)

Ms Anne Clark, Executive Director, Highland Community Care Forum

Ms Carmen McAteer, Regional Officer, Manufacturing Science and Finance Union

Mrs. Avril Ross Dewar, Chief Executive, Ross Campbell Consultants

Mr. John Gallacher, Managing Director, Cruden Estates Ltd.

Mr. Archie Bethel, Managing Director, Motherwell Bridge Holdings Ltd.

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA127

The remit of the task force is to give advice to the Secretary of State for Scotland on the key issues of programme policy and design of the new deal in Scotland; to promote the new deal in Scotland, particularly to the business and voluntary sectors, and to stimulate action and commitment in their progress on the implementation of the new deal, to flag up emerging issues and to advise on their resolution.

Costs will be met by the employment service. The task force reports and is accountable to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

Welfare to Work Task Force for Wales

Membership

Mr. Graham Hawker, Group Chief Executive, Hyder Plc (Chair)

Mr. Graham Benfield, Director, Wales Council for Voluntary Action

Ms Sheila Drury, Chief Executive, Kemitron Ltd.

Dr. Haydn Edwards, Principal, Coleg Menai, Bangor

Ms Margaret Evans, Director, Prince's Trust Volunteers, Cardiff

Mr. Gareth George, Wales Director, Barclays Cymru/Wales

Ms Jane Hutt, Director, Chwarae Teg

Mr. David Jenkins, General Secretary, Wales TUC

Mr. Roger Jones, Managing Director, Penn Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

Mr. Paul Loveluck, Chief Executive, Countryside Council for Wales

Mr. John Newton-Jones, Chief Executive, Farmworld

Ms Anne Poole, Director, NIACE Cymru

Mr. Adam Price, Executive Manager, Menter a Busnes

Ms Sue Price, Executive Director, Groundwork

Mr. Huw Vaughan Thomas, Chief Executive, Denbighshire County Council

Rev. Kevin Watson, Representative of CYTUN (Churches in Wales Together)

Ms Wendy Yates, Director of Personnel, City and County of Swansea

The remit of the task force is to help promote the welfare to work programme to business and other organisations in Wales and to monitor progress. It will also advise the Secretary of State for Wales on how the programme can be tailored to Wales' needs.

Costs will be met by the employment service. The task force will report and be accountable to the Secretary of State for Wales.

National Schools Standards Task Force

Membership

The right honourable David Blunkett MP, Secretary of State for Education and Employment (Chair)

Mr. Stephen Byers, School Standards Minister, Education and Employment (Deputy Chair)

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Prof. Tim Brighouse, Chief Education Officer, Birmingham (Vice Chair)

Mr. Chris Woodhead, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, OFSTED (Vice Chair)

Prof. Michael Barber, Standards and Effectiveness Unit, Department for Education and Employment (Secretary)

Sir David Puttnam CBE, Chair, Enigma Productions

Mr. John Baker, Chair, National Power

Ms Anthea Millet, Chief Executive, Teacher Training Agency

Dr. Nick Tate, Chief Executive Designate, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Mr. William Atkinson, Head, Phoenix High School, Shepherds Bush

Ms Carole Evans, Head, Priory School, Slough

Ms Sue Pearson, Head, Lache County Infant School, Chester

Ms Janet Warwick, Head, Rhyn Park School, Oswestry

Dr. David Winkley, Head, Grove Primary School, Birmingham

Ms Carol Adams, Chief Education Officer, Shropshire

Mr. David Bell, Chief Education Officer, Newcastle upon Tyne

Ms Chrissie Garrett, Assistant Principal, Banbury School, Banbury

Prof. David Hargreaves, School of Education, University of Cambridge

Prof. Stephen Heppell, Ultra-Lab, Anglia Polytechnic University, Chelmsford

Ms Jill Kieran, Deputy Head, Whiteheath Infant School, Ruislip

Prof. Simon Lee, Liverpool Hope University College, Liverpool

Ms Janet Major, Teacher, Bungay High School, Bungay

Dr. Heidi Safia Mirza, South Bank University, London

Prof. John McBeath, Strathclyde University

Mr. Peter Owen, Schools Directorate, Department for Education and Employment

The remit of the task force is to unite the various educational interests in the new drive to raise standards in schools; be advocates for the spread of good practice to achieve higher standards; advise the Secretary of State for Education on the development and implementation of policies to improve school standards; keep the Secretary of State abreast of best practice nationally and internationally; and work with national agencies and others to achieve the national targets for literacy and numeracy.

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA129

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

Numeracy Task Force

Membership

Prof. David Reynolds, Professor of Education, University of Newcastle (Chair)

Mr. Martin Armstrong, Deputy Headteacher, Marlwood School, South Gloucestershire

Prof. Margaret Brown, Professor of Mathematics Education, King's College, London

Prof. David Burghes, Professor of Education, Centre of Innovation in Mathematics Training, University of Exeter

Ms Margaret Dawes, KPMG

Mrs. Patricia Petch, Chair, National Governors Council

Ms Carol Robinson, Headteacher, William Ford Primary School, Barking and Dagenham

Prof. Christopher Robson, Professor of Pure Mathematics, University of Leeds

Mrs. Anita Straker, Director, National Numeracy Project

Mrs. Ann Waterhouse, Headteacher, Asmall County Primary School, Lancashire

The remit of the task force is to review the existing international and national evidence about achievement in mathematics, teacher effectiveness in mathematics and school effectiveness in mathematics; to investigate the educational and social factors which are determinants of that performance; propose appropriate policies for all parts of the education service to tackle under-achievement including classroom teaching, whole school practice, teacher training and development and action by local and national government and its partners.

Costs will be met by business sponsorship and from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports through and is accountable to DfEE Ministers.

NHS Efficiency Task Force

Membership

Mr. David Fillingham, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust

Mr. John Flook, Executive Director of Finance, County Durham Health Authority

Mr. Peter Homa, Chief Executive, Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

Mr. Philip Hunt, Chief Executive, NHS Confederation

Mr. Lionel Joyce, Chief Executive, Newcastle City Health NHS Trust

Mr. Peter D. Lees, Senior Lecturer and Director of R&D, Southampton General Hospital

Mr. Mike Marchment, Chief Executive, Warwickshire Health Authority

Dr. Ian Rutter, Westcliffe Surgery, Shipley

Ms Christina Edwards, Director of Nursing and Quality, Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust

14 Oct 1997 : Column WA130

The task force is working with the Minister of State for Health to explore more efficient and effective ways of delivering high quality patient care. It has no formal terms of reference but is being used to generate ideas, particularly about areas which are likely to produce benefits over the next couple of years. The task force will not produce a formal report: members have been asked to prepare papers on a number of topics which will be taken forward by Ministers and officials through the normal channels.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports to the Minister of State for Health.

Football Task Force

Membership

The right honourable David Mellor QC (Chair)

Representatives of:

The Football Trust

The Football Association

The FA Premier League

Professional Footballers Association

Commission for Racial Equality

Local Government Association

University of Liverpool, Football Research Unit

English Sports Council

Football Supporters Association

National Federation of Football Supporters Clubs

National Association of Disabled Football Supporters

League Managers Association

Association of Premier and Football League Referees and Linesmen

The remit of the task force is to investigate and recommend new measures to deal with the public's concerns on issues such as racism, ticket prices, access for the disabled and the increasing commercialism in football.

The Football Trust will provide the secretariat to the task force. The task force reports and is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Creative Industries Task Force

Membership

The right honourable Chris Smith MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Chair)

Mr. Peter Mandelson MP, Minister without Portfolio

Ministerial representatives of:

Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

HM Treasury

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Department for Education and Employment

Department of Trade and Industry

Scottish Office

Northern Ireland Office

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Welsh Office

Representatives of:

The British Council

No. 10 Policy Unit

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Industry advisers:

Lord Puttnam

Mr. Richard Branson

Mr. Alan McGee

Mr. Paul Smith

Ms Gail Rebuck

Mr. Eric Salama

Ms Janice Hughes

Mr. Waheed Alli

The remit of the task force is to maximise the economic and employment potential of the creative industries.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force reports and is accountable to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Ministerial Task Group on the home-buying process

Membership

Mr. Geoff Hoon MP, Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Chair)

Ms Hilary Armstrong MP, Housing Minister, Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions

Mr. Nigel Griffiths MP, Minister for Competition and Consumer Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry

Departmental officials

The Group will direct parallel cross-departmental efforts to identify the problems in the home-buying process and to develop detailed proposals for solutions in the interests of everybody involved. Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs.

Better Regulation Task Force

Membership

Mr. Christopher Haskins, Northern Foods plc (Chair)

Ms Teresa Graham, Baker Tilly (Deputy Chair)

Other members will be announced in due course.

The remit of the task force is to advise the Government on action which improves the effectiveness and credibility of government regulation by ensuring that it is necessary, fair and affordable, and simple to understand and administer, taking account of the needs of small business and ordinary people.

Costs will be met from planned departmental running costs. The task force will report to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.

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Task Force on Tax and Benefits

Membership

Mr. Martin Taylor, Chief Executive, Barclays plc (Chair)

Official representatives of:

HM Treasury

Department for Education and Employment

Department of Social Security

Inland Revenue

The remit of the task force is to examine the interaction of the tax and benefits systems so that they can be streamlined and modernised to fulfil the objectives of promoting work incentives, reducing poverty and welfare dependency, and strengthening community and family life.

Costs will be met from within existing running costs of the departments concerned. The task force will report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Private Finance Task Force

Membership

Projects arm

Mr. Adrian Montague (Chief Executive of Projects)

Up to eight members representing the private sector will be announced in due course.

Policy arm

Mr. Peter Wanless (Head of the Treasury Private Finance Unit)

Mr. Ben Prynn, Price Waterhouse

Mr. Tony Whitehead, Coopers & Lybrand

Official representatives of HM Treasury

The remit of the task force, which comprises a projects and a policy arm, is to advance the private finance initiative and public/private partnerships across government. The projects arm, which is structured as a limited company under Treasury guarantee, will assess and support departments' efforts in securing good quality new transactions in the PFI field and help to deliver significant existing projects. It is envisaged that the company will have a limited life of two years, by which time expertise should be sufficiently well spread across the public sector. The policy team provides key policy advice to Ministers on the private finance initiative and public/private partnerships, and has lead responsibility for developing rules and promoting best practice in these areas.

Costs will be met from planned departmental costs. The task force reports and is accountable to the Paymaster General.

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